Varicose vein treatments take time

By Dr. Sonja Stiller, Center for Advanced Vein Care

Lots of patients come see us in the fall in hopes of having their vein treatments completed before their insurance deductible resets in January.

Unfortunately, that’s too late.

Vein treatments take time. We need time to perform an initial consultation, determine a diagnosis and develop a proper treatment plan. Then, most insurance companies have a six-week to three-month compression stocking requirement before treatment can begin. Plus, the treatments themselves can take several weeks or months.

So right now—in August—is the last chance to begin treatment before January.

Of course, many patients prefer to begin in January, after the hectic holiday season and when the cold weather makes the compression requirement more comfortable. But the same timeline applies. If you want to start treatment in January—and enjoy healthy legs and an active lifestyle next summer—you should not wait until January to schedule your initial consultation. Let’s do that now, complete your compression requirement in the cool fall, and be ready to start treatment in January. Too many patients say, “I wish I would have started sooner!”

By the way, you can speed up this timeline by starting compression yourself beforehand. Just make sure you have a proper fitting through either a medical supply company or here in our offices.

Give us a call now if you are suffering from any of the following symptoms: leg pain • swelling • heaviness • fatigue • itching • burning • inflammation • skin discoloration • restless legs syndrome.

Dr. Sonja Stiller is a diplomat of both the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and the UIP 2023 Lead Chair for Scientific Abstracts. She is the founder of the Center for Advanced Vein Care, a Tier 1 provider with Lake Health Hospital System. The center’s offices are at 7200 Mentor Avenue, in Mentor. For an appointment, call 440-710-1140. Visit YourHealthyVeins.com.