The 5 Questions to Ask Before You Decide
on a Vein Treatment Procedure

1. What is the experience of the person diagnosing you?

There are 3 types of people who do evaluations: doctors specifically trained in vein procedures
(phlebologists), doctors not trained in these procedures and many people who are not doctors at all (nurses, aestheticians, or, so called technicians without even that much training). For your best results you should insist on being evaluated by a trained physician with experience in phlebology that is able to offer many different vein procedures.

Ask if they are specifically trained in the procedure you are considering, how many they have done and how many different procedures they are familiar with. They cannot recommend something they do not know about.

At the Vein Treatment Center at the Laronn Clinique, Drs Carmen & Morel Laronn personally do all the evaluations and treatments themselves. They have 23 years of medical practice experience, 6 years of specialty training and another 15 years of phlebology (vein) experience. They are specifically trained in all the 7 procedures available at the clinic so you have a range of experience equal to no other clinic in Colorado or in the Denver area.

They are also members of both the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery and the American College of Phlebology (for vein procedures).

2. Are you going to be diagnosed and tested before your treatment?

Just like any other medical condition, vein disease must be diagnosed by history, physical examination and testing by Doppler or Duplex before any treatment is initiated. In order to diagnose vein reflux the cause for varicose veins and map the problematic affected veins. At times allergy testing to the medications that are being used may be necessary.

At The Vein Treatment Center the doctors will follow all these steps and formulate a treatment program for your specific needs. A polarized light (Vein Light) is also used to visualize and access the feeding veins found underneath the skin that are responsible in many cases for the broken capillaries that lie on top of them. Many vein treatment clinics do not have this equipment or the expertise to make an accurate diagnosis before treatment, which may result in poor outcomes such as discoloration, scarring, sloughing or lack of results.

3. What treatments are available?

A clinic can only offer what they have the equipment and expertise to do. The laser equipment in particular is very expensive so come clinics arrange to rent equipment on certain days of each month. These facilities are not doing many procedures and will require you to come in at a time they have the equipment. If your are considering a laser procedure make sure to ask if the clinic owns their equipment and how many procedures they have done.

A recent survey showed the typical clinic or cosmetic facility offered only 1 - 2 different vein procedures. If you go to a facility that only offers a few procedures, their recommendations will only be based on what they can do. In many situations, a combination of treatments might be best for you so a clinic that can offer them all is preferable.

The Vein Treatment Center at Laronn Clinique provides a complete array of integrated treatments from lasers, to surgery, to sclerotherapy and microfoam that will take care of big or small veins on legs, face, or other areas.

Vein Treatments

• Sclerotherapy - There are 3 types. Two of these, microfoam sclerotherapy, and duplex guided sclerotherapy are available only at the Vein Treatment Center.
• Laser Treatments - utilizing 3 different lasers (two surface lasers and an endovenous laser). The Laronn Clinique is the only facility in the Denver area with the Diomed ELVT (Endovenous laser). At The Vein Treatment Center they use 6 different sclerosing agents to increase the effectiveness and decrease any side effects.
• Ambulatory Phlebectomy - this technique can be done in the office to surgically remove troublesome veins. It is now preferred over the previous "vein stripping" technique that requires a hospital stay, general anesthesia, and weeks of recovery.

4. What is the expertise of the person doing the actual procedure?

Many clinics, offering vein procedures do not have a doctor of any type present. Some others, like many dermatologists, have a nurse or staff person doing evaluations and treatments. Others have a doctor available on call that is not involved with your treatment but is available in case of an emergency but not to do your procedure.

Quite a difference.

Make sure to ask how much experience in the specific procedure the person who will be treating you has had. Treating vein disease successfully requires optimal diagnostic followed by rational selection of integrated therapeutic modalities

Drs Carmen & Morel Laronn of the Laronn Clinique have 14 years experience with vein procedures. They have done 9,264 vein procedures and 19,252 laser and other skin procedures. All these procedures are done following precise medical guidelines and established recommendations of the American College of Phlebology and the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery.

Another concern can be the availability of anesthetics. Both Dr Carmen and Morel Laronn are certified in anesthetics that other clinics cannot. Though many procedures require no anesthesia at all, there are multiple levels of anesthesia available. Which is appropriate, if any, will be determined in consultation between the doctor and the patient.

5. How are you educated on your options and which procedure is the right one for you?

A clinic can only advise you on the options they have expertise in. Make sure you get a thorough explanation of what will happen in the treatment, how long it takes, how many treatments are required and what they will cost and what are the expected results.

Ask to see before and after photos of patient results so you have a complete understanding of the procedure. The Vein Treatment Center has before and after photos for you to review on all procedures.

With so many different treatments available so it may be confusing to know what to do. Just because a new procedure receives a lot of press, does not mean it is right for you. Don't miss out on getting the best treatment by going to a clinic that has only limited treatment options. Your doctor will have to diagnose your particular condition and understand what you would like to achieve in order to recommend a treatment regimen.