Sky Vein & Aesthetics is now located in a newly remodeled office just off Campbell Lane at 1711 Destiny Lane, Suite 120 in Bowling Green. Owner Dr. Danny Harrison is a native of Franklin, Ky., and a graduate of WKU and the University of Louisville. Dr. Harrison is a board-certified general surgeon. He has been treating veins for over 27 years.
What causes varicose veins?
Varicose veins occur when veins are not properly returning blood from the lower leg to the heart. Veins have valves that open to allow the flow of blood to the heart and close to prevent the backflow of blood to the legs. When valves fail to function properly, blood leaks through and flows down the leg in the wrong direction. This problem is called reflux.
How common are varicose veins?
Chronic venous disease of the legs is one of the most common conditions affecting people of all races. Approximately half of the U.S. population has venous disease, 50-55% of women and 40-45% of men. Of these, 20-25% of the women and 10-15% of men will have visible varicose veins.
How are veins treated?
At Sky Vein & Aesthetics, Dr. Danny Harrison treats varicose veins in our office with minimally invasive techniques to get you back to your normal activities as quickly as possible. A combination of endovenous laser ablation, ambulatory phlebectomy and sclerotherapy are used to treat the veins causing reflux. Endovenous laser therapy is a minimally invasive laser procedure that has a short and relatively pain-free postoperative recovery period. It is performed under local anesthesia in the doctor’s office. A thin laser fiber is inserted into the veins to be treated, usually the Great or Small Saphenous Veins (those veins for which your grandmother may have had a “stripping”) and are the problem that must be treated first in most varicose veins. The treatment takes about one hour. Dr. Harrison has been performing this since 2002. Ambulatory phlebectomy is a procedure that allows for the removal of large varicose veins through very small incisions that need no stitches. This procedure is used for patients who have already had the Great or Small Saphenous Veins treated or that rare person in whom the Great and Small Saphenous Veins are normal and not the cause of their varicose veins. Sclerotherapy can be used to treat small varicose veins. A small needle is used to inject the veins with a detergent-like medication that irritates the lining of the vein. The solution used is Sotradecol. Chemically like soap, it is an FDA approved drug for sclerotherapy. In response, the veins collapse and are reabsorbed over time. You may need several sclerotherapy sessions for any vein region. Generally, normal activities can be resumed immediately after sclerotherapy. The procedure usually causes only minimal discomfort.
Spider veins(medically called telangiectasias) are small red and purple blood veins that occur in patches on the legs and frequently look like a spider. The network of vessels also resembles tiny sunbursts, branching trees or just lines. Exactly what happens in the body to produce spider veins isn’t known. Spider veins occur mostly in women. Spider veins are primarily a cosmetic problem, although they can cause aching and discomfort. Spider veins are treated with sclerotherapy, which causes them to collapse and fade from view. A tiny needle is used to inject the veins with Sotradecol, the medication that irritates the lining of the vein. Treatment of Spider veins is considered cosmetic. Tiny, red veins can sometimes be too small to be treated with sclerotherapy. In those cases, we use a device called VeinGogh, which utilizes Microburst Technology to deliver precise energy to destroy the tiny spider vein. VeinGogh is also used on those tiny little red spider veins of the nose that can be so difficult to treat.
PRO-NOX, a patient-controlled comfort measure using the time-tested combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen, commonly known as “laughing gas,” is available. It takes effect in seconds, offering immediate relief of pain and anxiety.
Dr. Harrison also performs cosmetic services: Ultherapy, the anti-wrinkle injection Xeomin, facial fillers (Radiesse, Belotero, Juvederm and others), PDO threads, chemical peels and two medical-grade skin care lines – ZO Skin Health and Neo Cutis.
To learn more about any of these services, call Sky Vein &Aesthetics at 270-846-1500 or book online at skyveins.com or from our Facebook page.
