Other Treatments & Procedures – Vein Center in Prescott
A DEDICATED LEVEL OF CARE FOR A VARIETY OF SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS AT OUR ADVANCED VEIN CENTER
With our highly-qualified and trained interventional radiologists, our medical team offers extremely talented professionals to perform a variety of minimally invasive treatments for patients with specific needs.
The procedures are done on an outpatient basis by our vascular specialists and interventional specialists. The procedures are typically short, essentially pain-free, and offer a faster recovery time than traditional surgery options.
VEIN DISEASE
Vein diseases are very common, and often go undiagnosed. They are usually not painful but can cause several serious health problems. Often, vein diseases can lead to various health complications, including blood clots, skin ulcers, and restless legs syndrome.
Here are the different types of vein diseases:
TYPES OF VEIN DISEASE
Blood Clots
Blood clots can be found in the deep veins, which are the large veins in your leg. These clots can cause pain and swelling. This is lethal as it can cause blood clots on different parts of the body such as your internal organs, kidney, and the brain.
[Read: What Are the Symptoms of a Blocked Artery in Your Leg?]
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
DVT is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins of your leg. It can cause pain and swelling. If a clot breaks loose it can travel to your lungs and block the flow of blood (a serious condition called pulmonary embolism).
[Read: DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) – Causes and Treatment]
Superficial Thrombosis or Phlebitis
Phlebitis is a blood clot that forms in the superficial veins which are the small veins near the surface of your skin. It can cause pain, redness, and swelling.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)
Chronic Venous Insufficiency or CVI is a condition in which the valves in your veins do not work properly. This causes blood to flow backward and pool in your veins. CVI can cause varicose veins, spider veins, leg pain, leg swelling, and ulcers.
Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
Varicose veins are large, raised, swollen blood vessels that twist and turn. They usually occur in the legs. Some effects of varicose veins are that they can cause aching or even burning sensations. In more serious cases, varicose veins can lead to skin ulceration.
Spider veins are small, thin veins that are close to the surface of the skin. They usually look red, blue, or purple. Spider veins can be found on the legs, but can also be found on the face.
[Read: Varicose Veins & Pregnancy: 7 Simple Steps To Reduce Your Risk]
Venous Ulcers
Venous ulcers are a type of nonhealing wound. They are usually found on the lower leg, ankle, or foot. Venous ulcers are usually caused by chronic venous insufficiency.
OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART, MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURES
There are several vein treatment options available for different vein diseases. Treatment options include lifestyle changes, medical therapies, and surgical interventions. Lifestyle modifications that can help improve healthy veins include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated.
At Vascular & Interventional Specialist of Prescott, we offer several medical therapies to treat vein diseases, specifically varicose veins. Here are some:
AMBULATORY PHLEBECTOMY
This is a form of minimally invasive treatment that is used for treating varicose veins. The process involves the removal of varicose veins through very small incisions in the skin.
INJECTION SCLEROTHERAPY
In this treatment, a solution is injected into the veins that make use of small needles. This will help the varicose veins to shrink and eventually disappear. However, there is a chance for multiple injections needed for the therapy as it varies on the condition.
[LEARN MORE ABOUT VISP VEIN TREATMENTS]
OTHER PROCEDURES WE OFFER:
G-J TUBE PLACEMENT/REPLACEMENT (GASTROSTOMY, GASTROJEJUNOSTOMY)
The Vascular and Interventional Specialist of Prescott meticulously performs J tube placements with patients who are not able to get enough nutrition by way of the mouth. Patients with a blockage from the mouth to the stomach or who have difficulty swallowing would typically be candidates for this procedure.
A J-tube is a Jejunostomy feeding tube that provides a more direct way to get proper nutrition into the body. The tube is placed through the skin directly into the stomach for the effective delivery of needed nutrients.
INFERIOR VENA CAVA FILTER (IVC) PLACEMENT/REMOVAL
Our well-equipped vein clinic along with vascular specialists and interventional radiologists is efficient and highly trained in IVC filter placement and IVC filter removal procedures.
An IVC filter is used when there are blood clots in the leg veins or the pelvis, known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT. Without the success of anticoagulation agents, such as blood thinners, to dissolve the blood clots, or if the person is at high risk for developing clots, an IVC filter placement is the next line of defense. An IVC filter is a small metal device inserted into the inferior vena cava to trap any clots, preventing them from traveling to the heart or lungs.
The Vascular and Interventional Specialists at Prescott will closely monitor each patient with an IVC filter placement and advise if a removal procedure is safe to do so if the risk of clots has cleared.
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT) TREATMENT
Deep vein thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in a vein that is located deeper inside the body, usually located in the leg. The diagnosis of a blood clot can be identified by performing a DVT ultrasound, using MRI or CT scan imagery, a blood test, or venography, which uses x-ray imagery.
If usual methods of treating deep vein thrombosis, such as blood thinners or an IVC filter placement, would not be efficient for the patient’s condition, deep vein thrombosis treatment would be the best option.
The DVT treatment consists of the interventional radiologist entering the vein directly to remove the clot. The vascular specialists and interventional radiologists at VISP perform this procedure on an outpatient basis at Prescott Medical Imaging. We use only local anesthesia, and most procedures take less than an hour.
MEDIPORT/PORT-A-CATH PLACEMENT/REMOVAL
A Port-a-Cath and Mediport are devices that are implanted under the skin attached to a vein to provide easy access to administer long-term medication by intravenous injection. This device is typically implanted in patients regularly receiving medications via IV, such as chemotherapy treatments.
The placement of a Port-a-Cath or Mediport is considered a minor medical procedure and is performed by the interventional radiologist. Local or general anesthesia will be given before making two small incisions at the site of where the device will be placed, and for the catheter to be inserted into the vein. Attached to the catheter is a portal where the medication will be administered throughout the treatment process.
After the medication treatment has been completed the interventional radiologist will also remove the medication portal.
PICC LINE PLACEMENT
A PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) provides another method for a patient to receive medication on a more regular basis for a particular medical treatment, such as receiving long-term intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
The PICC line is a catheter that is inserted into the vein of the upper arm. With the medicine being injected directly into the larger vein, there is less risk of irritation. The PICC line placement is a minimally invasive minor medical procedure performed by the vein doctors from VISP. Using ultrasound, the best vein in the arm will be chosen for the placement.
Local anesthesia will be administered, and the catheter will be inserted. Once placed, the interventional radiologist will confirm that it is ready for use after inspecting an x-ray and treatments can begin. PICC lines will be removed by our team once medical treatments are no longer needed.
UTERINE ARTERY EMBOLIZATION
A female experiencing heavy pelvic bleeding caused by trauma, malignant tumors, or hemorrhaging after childbirth may undergo uterine artery embolization. For females experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, and pressure on the bladder and bowels, this may be caused by fibroid tumors in the uterus.
The interventional specialist at VISP will perform a minimally invasive medical procedure guided by a real-time x-ray to deliver the embolic agents to the arteries that are feeding the tumors. The embolization obstructs blood flow feeding the tumors and keeping them alive, causing them to shrink and minimizing their effects. This procedure may also eliminate the need for a hysterectomy.
The specialists at the VISP vein center are well-trained and experienced in performing this procedure successfully.
NEPHROSTOMY TUBE PLACEMENT
Patients experiencing a blockage in their kidneys may be a candidate for a nephrostomy tube placement. A blockage in the kidney, such as an impassable kidney stone, will obstruct the normal flow of urine. As a temporary bypass to the obstruction, a nephrostomy tube will be placed to allow the urine to be eliminated. The tube is placed through the skin directly into the kidney to relieve the blockage.
Once the blockage has cleared the nephrostomy tube will be removed. The tube placement is a minimally invasive minor medical procedure performed by the highly skilled interventional radiologists of Vascular and Interventional Specialists of Prescott.
IMAGE-GUIDED BIOPSY
The skilled and diligent interventional radiologists of VISP understand the stress that accompanies the need for a biopsy. To help alleviate anxiety, our specialists are trained and experienced to use x-ray, ultrasound, CT, or MRI-guided imagery to accurately locate the suspicious area(s) in the body that need a biopsy.
This technique allows the IR to target and sample the tissue with little to no pain, and without the need for a large incision. This biopsy procedure is typically performed on an outpatient basis with a low risk of complications. Less than one percent of patients develop bleeding or infection.
In about 90 percent of patients, a needle biopsy procedure provides enough tissue for the pathologist to determine the cause of the abnormality. This procedure will help to decipher if a patient has a benign or malignant tumor and if a tumor ablation procedure would be a viable option for treatment.
TRUST THE PROFESSIONALS FROM OUR ADVANCED VEIN CENTER TO HANDLE YOUR TREATMENT WITH PRECISION AND CARE
The professional medical staff at VISP provide the utmost care for their patients. Our goal is to diagnose and treat people in the safest, least risky, and most efficient way with honesty, respect, care, and compassion.
Call us today to discuss your medical needs and schedule an appointment with us.