In the rapidly expanding world of vascular medicine, vein clinics seem to be opening on every street corner. While accessibility is usually a good thing, the “commercialization” of vein care has brought a troubling trend: the recommendation of multiple, often unnecessary procedures.
When a clinic tells you that you need four, six, or even eight veins treated, how do you know if it’s a medical necessity or a “cash register” moment?
At Vanishing Veins, we believe in an old-fashioned approach: Do No Harm. Led by Dr. Lori Greenwald, a board-certified vascular surgeon with over 20 years of experience, our philosophy is simple; treat what needs to be treated, and leave the rest alone. Our vein doctors in Newington will help you spot the red flags of over-treatment and explain why “less is often more” when it comes to your vascular health.
The “Reflux” Trap: Finding vs. Feeling
A common scenario many patients face occurs right after the diagnostic ultrasound. The doctor points to the screen and tells you that you have venous reflux. This simply means the one-way valves in your veins are leaky, allowing blood to flow backward.
The doctor then insists you need a procedure, or five, to fix every instance of reflux they found. But here is the critical medical truth: There is absolutely no evidence that you should treat reflux if you have no symptoms.
The American College of Phlebology Standards
This isn’t just Dr. Greenwald’s opinion; it is the official recommendation of the American College of Phlebology (now the American Vein & Lymphatic Society). If a vein shows reflux on an ultrasound but isn’t causing you pain, heaviness, swelling, or skin changes, it should generally be left alone.
If a finding is “ultrasound-only” and isn’t bothering you, a rush to surgery is a major red flag.
The Danger of Unnecessary Procedures: Neovascularization
You might think, “What’s the harm? If the vein is leaky, why not just close it?” The human body is an incredible survival machine. When you close a vein that the body is still successfully using, it triggers a biological response called neovascularization. Essentially, your body senses a “blockage” and works overtime to grow new veins to bypass the one that was closed.
Why More Treatment Can Lead to More Problems
- Accelerated Disease: These brand-new veins are often tiny, weak, and prone to becoming varicose much faster than your original vessels. By treating a vein that didn’t need it, you might actually be speeding up the process of developing new, symptomatic varicose veins.
- Complication Risks: Every procedure, no matter how minimally invasive, carries a risk of infection, bruising, or (rarely) nerve damage. Undertaking those risks for zero medical benefit is simply bad medicine.
- Wasted Resources: Unnecessary procedures eat up your deductible and cause unnecessary downtime.
The Vanishing Veins Approach: Ethical Vascular Care
At Vanishing Veins, Dr. Lori Greenwald prides herself on “sleeping well at night.” We aren’t interested in racking up procedure counts; we are interested in long-term patient outcomes.
Why Dr. Greenwald’s Expertise Matters
As one of the few specialists in Connecticut board-certified in both Vascular Surgery and Phlebology, Dr. Greenwald has the surgical background to know when a vein is truly diseased and when it is simply a variation of normal anatomy. Having performed over 17,000 procedures, she has seen the long-term results of both conservative and aggressive treatments.
Our Patient-First Services
- Diagnostic Ultrasound Accuracy: Our ultrasounds are used to find the source of your pain, not just to find things to treat.
- Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): We use this gentle heat-based treatment only on truncal veins that are clearly causing medical symptoms.
- Microphlebectomy: A precise method for removing physically bulging veins that interfere with your quality of life.
- Sclerotherapy: Targeted treatment for spider veins and smaller varicosities that cause itching or aching.
How to Avoid Being “Scammed” in Vein Care
If you walk into a consultation and feel like you’re being sold a used car rather than receiving a medical diagnosis, trust your gut. Here are three rules to make sure you are getting the right treatment:
1. The Symptom Test
If a doctor suggests treating a vein that doesn’t hurt, isn’t swollen, and isn’t causing skin changes, ask them: “What medical benefit will I receive from this?” If the answer is vague, proceed with caution.
2. The “Number of Veins” Red Flag
While some patients do require multiple veins to be treated (especially if they have bilateral disease), a recommendation for a high number of procedures right out of the gate is a reason to seek a second opinion.
3. Seek a Board-Certified Specialist
Make sure your doctor is a Diplomate of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine (ABVLM). This guarantees they have passed rigorous testing and have a high volume of documented, successful cases.
Reclaiming Your Health with Integrity
You deserve to have legs that feel light and healthy without undergoing a dozen unnecessary surgeries. We are a vein clinic in Glastonbury that prioritizes medical necessity over profit margins. We would rather see you once and fix your problem than see you ten times for procedures you didn’t need.
Schedule Your Honest Evaluation
If you’ve been told you need an extensive list of vein treatments and want a second opinion from a recognized leader in the field, we are here for you.
Contact Vanishing Veins to schedule your consultation with Dr. Lori Greenwald. Let’s create a treatment plan that is right for your legs, not our bottom line.
This post was updated 2/18/26.
