Handled With Care

An estimated 72 percent of American women and 42 percent of men will experience varicose veins symptoms by their 60s. Right now, 25 million Americans suffer from venous reflux disease, the main culprit for painful, swollen and ugly varicose veins.
“Some people think varicose veins are simply a cosmetic issue, but they can be much more serious than that,” says Jon Woozley, PA-C, with Utah Valley Vein Clinic, a service of Utah Valley Heart and Lung Surgical Associates. “If left untreated, the condition can lead to more serious health concerns.”
A patient suffering from varicose veins — or who thinks they might be — can visit Utah Valley Vein Clinic and receive a comprehensive diagnostic examination that includes ultrasound testing.
“We clearly identify the problem,” Jon says. “The ultrasound enables us to determine the cause of superficial issues and also informs us of any deeper issues. This gives us the best chance to successfully treat the problem.”
Varicose veins can appear in any vein, but are most commonly found in the legs. They appear more often in women but do occur regularly among men. Women who have had more than one pregnancy have a higher likelihood of suffering from them. In fact, while the Utah Valley Vein Clinic won’t perform the procedure on women who are currently pregnant, Jon points out that women don’t have to be done having children to treat varicose veins.
“A lot of people think they have to be all done with having kids,” he says. “That’s simply not true. Between pregnancies is a great time to have the procedure because it will improve vein problems in subsequent pregnancies.”
Other increased risk factors include being overweight, a family history of varicose veins and working in a job where you’re frequently on your feet (teacher, flight attendant, grocery store clerk).
The Utah Valley Vein Clinic offers comprehensive vein care including sclerotherapy with ultrasound guidance, endovenous ablation and ambulatory phlebectomy. The clinic uses radiofrequency (RF) endovenous ablation, which is a minimally invasive treatment procedure that uses radiofrequency to heat and seal diseased veins.
“The RF treatment has fewer complications than lasers and completely avoids general anesthesia and hospitalization, unlike prior varicose vein treatments such as vein stripping,” Jon says. “It’s still a heat-based procedure, but the RF treatment operates at about 120 degrees Celsius, while the laser treatment heats to 700 C.”
Lower heat means less bruising and quicker recovery. In fact, the treatment is usually done with only local anesthesia, and patients can often resume everyday function immediately.
The Utah Valley Vein Clinic’s association with Intermountain Heart and Lung Surgical Associates means the professionals at the clinic use the finest in equipment, have vast experience in vein surgery and couple this with a friendly staff committed to extraordinary care.
“We’re used to harvesting veins for bypass surgeries,” Jon says. “Frankly, ablating a vein is much easier than harvesting one to attach to a heart.
“The best part of this is that we’re helping our neighbors,” Jon says. “We live and work in Utah Valley and we like seeing the joy this brings to patients. Some of these people have been suffering from varicose veins for way too long.”
The clinic is supervised by John Mitchell, M.D., a heart surgeon with Intermountain Utah Valley Heart and Lung Surgical Associates.

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