Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Learn what you can do to prevent and treat this disorder
By Federico M. Richter, MD
Pregnancy is a miraculous time to celebrate and enjoy your body’s changes, as your little baby grows inside your womb. However, carrying this unborn child causes a lot of things to happen to your body. One of the issues many women face is painful varicose veins. Varicose veins, of course, can happen to anyone, but pregnant ladies have a significant increase in this likelihood.
Typically, the veins affected by this condition are found in the legs. When you’re pregnant, the volume of blood rushing through your veins increases in pressure, but it slows down the volume from your lower extremities to your womb. Why? The blood is being reserved to support your growing baby. While this helps the fetus, it enlarges and blocks off veins in the legs. This changes with an increase pressure in the abdomen and pelvis as the baby grows puts pressure on the main vein in the abdomen blocking the venous return and putting more pressure and strain on the veins of the pelvis and the legs making it harder for the blood to flow upward. For this reason, it can be helpful for a women to support her veins by wearing graduated compression stockings as soon as she realizes is pregnant.
The good news is that usually, the veins will improve on their own after you give birth and your hormone levels regulate back to normal function.
Since being pregnant is a time to refrain from medications and procedures, most people are confused about whether or not they can have treatment for these excruciating side effects.
If your pain is extreme, you can receive specific therapy on the veins during your pregnancy with no harm to the baby. You can also receive the same treatment or more advanced methods to improve your blood flow and release the pressure on the veins after you give birth.
To help prevent or relieve your pain from varicose veins, it’s best to rest, elevate your feet and legs throughout the day, wear comfortable footwear and clothing, and to use compression stockings under the supervision of your doctor.
Treatment of Varicose Veins
Traditional surgeries were invasive and did not warrant pre-pregnancy treatment in any but the more severe cases. As vein treatments has become less invasive and more successful the idea of treating spider and varicose veins before and in between pregnancies became more attractive. For this reason, phlebologist today recommend that a women who suffered significantly from vein issues during pregnancy should undergo treatment of her vein disease before her next pregnancy.
It is usually easier and less traumatic to treat vein issues when they are on an early stage than to treat the more serious advanced problems like chronic venous insufficiency.
These are the new minimally invasive treatment options available
• Ultrasound Guided Foam Sclerotherapy — A minimal invasive painless treatment to treat the veins in an outpatient 15 minutes procedure.
• Endovenous thermal ablation — The pro-
cedure uses laser energy to collapse the vein. Under Ultrasound guidance, this treatment is offered in the office.
• Varithena — An Injectable foam treatment, which makes the vein naturally scar shut.
• VenaSeal — This FDA approved treatment for varicose veins utilizes a small catheter, which is inserted into the vein. An adhesive material is injected through the catheter into the vein to close it off.
About Federico M. Richter, MD
Dr. Federico Richter was born and raised in Argentina and grew up in a family of vein doctors. His Grandfather, one of the first vein specialists in Argentina, helped pioneer sclerotherapy for treatment of varicose and spider veins in the 1940s. His Father has been treating veins for over 45 years.
Dr. Richter recently re-located from the busy suburbs of Indianapolis where he completed his residency and practiced for 5 years. Since completion of his residency here in the United States, he has also focused on the newest developments in minimally invasive vein treatments. Dr. Richter received his medical degree in Argentina in 2003 from Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. He then completed a year of general surgery and a 3-year Fellowship in Vein and Lymphatic disorders in 2007. As a venous and lymphatic medicine specialist, he is dedicated to treating varicose and spider veins and their underlying causes. With over a decade of experience in the specialized medical field of diagnosing and treating vein disease, Dr. Richter was one of the first doctors to use lasers to treat a variety of vein diseases in Argentina. Certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and an active member of the American College Of Phlebology, Dr. Richter has also accumulated an impressive list of qualifications on ultrasound including RPhS (Registered Phlebology Sonographer) and educational accomplishments during the course of his career.
He is the Medical Director at Erasers Vein Clinics with goals of increasing the wellbeing and quality of life of his patients and the community here on the Bradenton Sarasota , Sun City Area. His approach focuses on the personalized care of his clientele, always taking into account their wellness and comfort. Dr. Richter is fluent in English and Spanish.
Vein Center at Eraser
To schedule a consultation, call Vein Centers at Erasers 941-907-3400
6050 53rd Ave. East (SR70), Suite A, Bradenton, FL 34203
