Vein Problems? Spider Veins or Varicose Veins … How serious are they?


What importance does ultrasound mean in proper diagnosis of your problem?

Dr. Jeffrey Alpern, D.O., answers these important questions.

Venous disease including spider veins and varicose veins can make legs look tired and, unfortunately, older than they should. Varicose veins are not the end of the world, but sometimes they seem as they might be. Dr. Jeffrey Alpern, D.O. Board Certified cardiovascular surgeon, vein specialist and founder of Veins Specialists of Arizona answers a few FAQs about venous issues. According to Dr. Alpern venous disease is often misunderstood.

“The truth of the matter is varicose veins are a medical condition and treatments are commonly covered by medical insurance. They can also be a sign that a more serious health issue exists and should be examined,” Dr. Jeffrey notes.

How important is the correct diagnosis of your particular venous issue to the health problems you may have?

Dr. Alpern says diagnosis is paramount in determining the correct procedure to solve the vein issue.

“After seeing patients suffer from years of mismanagement and treatment failures, I established Vein Specialists of Arizona to work toward accurate diagnosis and appropriate vein treatment through the least invasive, quick and relatively painless office procedures.”

What is the best type of vein diagnosis?

Dr. Alpern feels that without a doubt the answer is ultrasound.

“Every patient that is seen at VSA receives an ultrasound scan of their leg veins to establish whether or not any underlying issues exist,” Dr. Alpern states. “A visual examination is good for superficial or obvious vein issues, such as bulging veins or visible spider veins. However, it is not accurate for determining underlying venous issues.”

What is Ultrasound or Ultrasonography?

Dr. Alpern explains, “In ultrasonography (ultrasound), high-frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, are transmitted through body tissues. The echoes are recorded and transformed into video or photographic images. Ultrasound is used to create images of soft tissue structures and can also be used to detect blockages in the blood vessels. Ultrasound may be used with other diagnostic procedures or by itself.

What is a vascular ultrasound?

“Vascular ultrasound is a noninvasive ultrasound method (also called a duplex study) used to examine the blood circulation in the arms and legs,” Dr. Alpern says. “During a vascular ultrasound, sound waves are transmitted through the tissues of the area being examined. These sound waves reflect off blood cells moving within the blood vessels, allowing the reading professional to calculate their speed. The sound waves are recorded and displayed on a computer screen.”

Why should someone be evaluated and treated for diseases of the veins?

“An underlying venous problem can lead to more serious problems such as blood clots, bleeding, skin pigmentation and ulcers. Relatively simple procedures can eliminate these conditions before they become catastrophic and life threatening events. Treatments for venous diseases are generally covered by health insurance plans and Medicare.

VSA specializes in minimally invasive, in-office procedures for spider and varicose veins.


Dr. Jeffrey Alpern is a Cardiovascular Surgeon who was the first D.O. to perform a heart and heart/lung transplant in the world. Among his other impressive qualifications, Dr. Alpern trained at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic and was Surgical Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation at both Temple University and Hahnemann University Hospitals in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He currently is Director and founding member of Desert Cardiovascular Surgeons in Phoenix, and founder of Vein Specialists of Arizona located in Phoenix’s West Valley. Dr. Jeffrey Alpern, D.O is one of a handful of surgeons worldwide to use fast, virtually painless, safe and effective laser ablation and radiofrequency (RF) techniques for the treatment of existing varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency and venous leg ulcers.