• Find a Vein Specialist Sometimes the best doctor for you isn't a doctor at all.
Nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) are considered "physician-extenders" and many are excellent in certain settings.
When it comes to the treatment of varicose veins the education and experience of an extender does not compare to that of a physician and definitely not of a board certified surgeon.
•Find a Respectful Communicator Surgeons traditionally have been poor communicators, in part because they have a short term relationship with the patient, unlike your primary care physician.
Times have changed, when choosing your phlebologist or vein surgeon; you'll want to be sure they can communicate effectively, in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Many patients complain that they can't understand their doctors' use of "med speak", or that they don't feel as if their providers listen to them, or give them enough time.
Sometimes those problems are due to a disregard for the needs of the patient.
Other times there are good explanations.
Respectful communication requires understanding on the parts of both doctors and patients to get beyond those hurdles.
•Find a Vein Specialist Who Works with Your Insurance This is a key step to having a good relationship with your provider.
Physicians who specialize in the treatments of veins have members of their staff that specialize in working with the insurance companies.
Often they can tell you upfront what out of pocket expenses, what is covered by insurance and what may be deemed elective or cosmetic depending on your situation.
Varicose veins are the result of an underlying condition and many treatments are covered if billed correctly.
The nature of health insurance means relationships between insurers and practitioners change all the time.
Make sure you know your coverage limits under your policy.
•Make sure that the Physician is focused on Vein Treatment.
Patients are surprised to learn that some surgeons treat veins as an adjunct to their full-time practice.
Often the find this out after the fact, be proactive and ask the surgeon how many veins he treats a month.
Varicose vein treatment is all-encompassing and is not just limited to one procedure.
Just because Dr.
Blank is world-renowned in cardiac surgery does not mean that he/she has the experience needed to correctly treat your veins.
Vascular Surgeons who do all kinds of vascular surgery may not be as focused and educated on new procedures, as vein disease only makes up a small part of their practice.
Many vein centers or practices outside of hospitals tend to cater to treating all the vein conditions and often give a higher level of customer service as they are focused on vein care and vein patients solely.
Choosing the right physician to treat your varicose and spider veins should not be taken lightly.
Although varicose and spider veins are almost never life or limb threatening, incorrect or poorly done surgery and other treatments can do far more harm than good and can leave behind permanent pain and scars.
Choice of surgeons should always be viewed as a major decision and should be made only after you have done your 'homework'.
Some surgeons perform up to 30 procedures a day, while they may have a lot of experience, is the patient getting the attention to detail they deserve? On the contrary if the specialist only performs a couple of procedures a month, his experience may be limited.
Finally, vein practices aren't comprised of doctors alone.
One of the biggest factors in vein care is the diagnostic testing.
Your test should be performed by a Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) and preferably by a Registered Phlebology Sonographer (RPhS) with more than five years' experience.
It is crucial that you interview the technologist, ask them their credentials and experience.
One question to ask is "How long will the venous insufficiency exam take?", if the answer is twenty minutes then you know you are not dealing with a specialist! From receptionists to billing specialists, to nurses and vascular technologist, your experience with one doctor will actually be a cumulative experience with the entire team.
When it comes time to choosing the vein specialist for you, you'll need to account for the entire team that will deliver your care.
The doctor leads that team, so your assessment of him or her will be most important.
But you can get clues to the doctor's ability to care for you based on your experience with others who work for him or her.
Use that information to help you make your choice, too.
1.
Ask your doctor where and when they were trained and by whom.
2.
How long have they been doing these procedures and how many have they done? 3.
What is their success rate? 4.
What problems have they seen with these treatments? 5.
What can you expect after treatment? 6.
How long will it take to see the desired results? 7.
What can you expect in the future?
Nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) are considered "physician-extenders" and many are excellent in certain settings.
When it comes to the treatment of varicose veins the education and experience of an extender does not compare to that of a physician and definitely not of a board certified surgeon.
•Find a Respectful Communicator Surgeons traditionally have been poor communicators, in part because they have a short term relationship with the patient, unlike your primary care physician.
Times have changed, when choosing your phlebologist or vein surgeon; you'll want to be sure they can communicate effectively, in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Many patients complain that they can't understand their doctors' use of "med speak", or that they don't feel as if their providers listen to them, or give them enough time.
Sometimes those problems are due to a disregard for the needs of the patient.
Other times there are good explanations.
Respectful communication requires understanding on the parts of both doctors and patients to get beyond those hurdles.
•Find a Vein Specialist Who Works with Your Insurance This is a key step to having a good relationship with your provider.
Physicians who specialize in the treatments of veins have members of their staff that specialize in working with the insurance companies.
Often they can tell you upfront what out of pocket expenses, what is covered by insurance and what may be deemed elective or cosmetic depending on your situation.
Varicose veins are the result of an underlying condition and many treatments are covered if billed correctly.
The nature of health insurance means relationships between insurers and practitioners change all the time.
Make sure you know your coverage limits under your policy.
•Make sure that the Physician is focused on Vein Treatment.
Patients are surprised to learn that some surgeons treat veins as an adjunct to their full-time practice.
Often the find this out after the fact, be proactive and ask the surgeon how many veins he treats a month.
Varicose vein treatment is all-encompassing and is not just limited to one procedure.
Just because Dr.
Blank is world-renowned in cardiac surgery does not mean that he/she has the experience needed to correctly treat your veins.
Vascular Surgeons who do all kinds of vascular surgery may not be as focused and educated on new procedures, as vein disease only makes up a small part of their practice.
Many vein centers or practices outside of hospitals tend to cater to treating all the vein conditions and often give a higher level of customer service as they are focused on vein care and vein patients solely.
Choosing the right physician to treat your varicose and spider veins should not be taken lightly.
Although varicose and spider veins are almost never life or limb threatening, incorrect or poorly done surgery and other treatments can do far more harm than good and can leave behind permanent pain and scars.
Choice of surgeons should always be viewed as a major decision and should be made only after you have done your 'homework'.
Some surgeons perform up to 30 procedures a day, while they may have a lot of experience, is the patient getting the attention to detail they deserve? On the contrary if the specialist only performs a couple of procedures a month, his experience may be limited.
Finally, vein practices aren't comprised of doctors alone.
One of the biggest factors in vein care is the diagnostic testing.
Your test should be performed by a Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) and preferably by a Registered Phlebology Sonographer (RPhS) with more than five years' experience.
It is crucial that you interview the technologist, ask them their credentials and experience.
One question to ask is "How long will the venous insufficiency exam take?", if the answer is twenty minutes then you know you are not dealing with a specialist! From receptionists to billing specialists, to nurses and vascular technologist, your experience with one doctor will actually be a cumulative experience with the entire team.
When it comes time to choosing the vein specialist for you, you'll need to account for the entire team that will deliver your care.
The doctor leads that team, so your assessment of him or her will be most important.
But you can get clues to the doctor's ability to care for you based on your experience with others who work for him or her.
Use that information to help you make your choice, too.
1.
Ask your doctor where and when they were trained and by whom.
2.
How long have they been doing these procedures and how many have they done? 3.
What is their success rate? 4.
What problems have they seen with these treatments? 5.
What can you expect after treatment? 6.
How long will it take to see the desired results? 7.
What can you expect in the future?
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