Spider Vein Treatment for Riverdale, NJ

A short drive from Riverdale

Route 23 and Interstate 287 both cross Riverdale, but the drive to us is a simple one: the Newark-Pompton Turnpike most of the way, then Jacksonville Road into Towaco. The office at 624 Main Road, Suite 2B is around 11 minutes from the borough without traffic.

Flat, fine and very common

Spider veins sit in the skin rather than bulging above it. They are usually less than a millimetre wide, red or blue-purple, and they spread like branches or a web. Varicose veins, by contrast, are raised and rope-like. Spider veins are especially common in women and run strongly in families; pregnancy, hormonal change and long hours on your feet all make them more likely.

When they itch, burn or ache

Many spider veins are purely a question of appearance. But a cluster that burns, itches or aches, or one that keeps returning to the same patch, can be the overflow from a larger vein below whose valves have failed. Dr. Donna D’Alessio looks for that pattern — clusters around the ankle and inner calf, heavy legs, a family history of varicose veins — and where she finds it, maps the leg with ultrasound before treating anything. Clearing the surface while a feeder vein keeps pushing pressure into it gives a result that undoes itself.

The half-hour visit

Each cluster is cleaned, then treated vein by vein through a very fine needle while you lie down. The solution makes the vein’s walls seal, and the body absorbs it over the following weeks. Expect a sting or a warm, cramping feeling for a few seconds at a time. There is no anaesthetic, no cut and no stitch. Compression stockings go on at the end, and you can go straight back to work.

Living with the results

• Treated veins usually look darker and bruised for two to four weeks.
• They then fade and disappear over roughly four to eight weeks; bigger ones take longer and some need a second session.
• New spider veins can form over the years, particularly when they run in the family, so some people come back now and then for a touch-up.

Riverdale patients ask

Do spider veins mean my circulation is poor? Usually not. Most are a cosmetic matter. A minority are the visible end of a valve problem deeper in the leg, and the assessment is there to tell the two apart.

Is there anything to avoid afterwards? Hot baths, saunas and direct sun on the treated skin for about 48 hours, and strenuous exercise for a few days. Walking is encouraged.

Will my insurance pay for it? Usually not when the treatment is for appearance alone. If an ultrasound shows a refluxing vein behind them, treating that vein is a separate medical question and is often covered. You hear which applies before you book.

More about spider veins and sclerotherapy, or the same care for neighbouring Pequannock Township.