The Uses And Advantages Of Veingogh
Written by Dallas Vein Specialists on August 27, 2012
The VeinGogh device for treating spider veins has been in use in my vein practice for the past 2 years. This technology is now FDA approved for treating spider veins (telangiectasia) of the lower extremities.
The VeinGogh company describes its mechanism of action as “ohmic thermolysis” describing a “microburst” of radiofrequency energy that is delivered to the tip of a hair-like thin metal probe. The probe is placed directly on the small vessel where it resides at or near the surface of the skin. The tiny vessel is instantly injured by the heat energy. This results in damage to the entire wall of the vessel causing the vessel to close. Over time the body removes the small vessel and the adherent clot within.
I have acquired extensive experience with this device, and it has become an important tool in my work. I have found that the VeinGogh technology works well to remove the tiny spider veins of the face that are commonly seen on the cheeks, around and on the nose including the visible portion of the nasal septum, and on the chin. Patients with rosacea usually have good results after 2 or more treatments. Vessels usually disappear within a few days to 2-3 weeks. The final cosmetic result has been excellent.
Sclerotherapy (the ablation of spider veins using injected chemical compounds) still gets better results for the usual leg spider veins. Extremely tiny, hair-like spider veins are better suited for VeinGogh treatment, which can achieve results superior to usual sclerotherapy.
I have found that there are skin conditions other than spider veins of the face and legs, which can be well managed using VeinGogh. These include spider angiomata and cherry angiomas that can occur on the trunk or extremities and angiokeratoma that occur on the skin of male scrotum or the labia of women. I have treated all with salutary effect.
Spider angiomas are common benign vascular lesions composed of abnormal tiny vessels radiating out from a central red dot. They may be seen in patients who are pregnant, are on oral contraceptives, or have liver disease. Sclerotherapy has yielded poor results while VeinGogh works well to abolish these skin lesions.
Cherry angiomas are common in both men and women and again are entirely benign. They are slightly raised and vary in color from dark ruby to bright red. They may be pinpoint small to several millimeters in diameter. Microscopically they are composed of a mass of tiny blood vessels. They may occur anywhere on the body and are mainly of cosmetic concern. Because they are often raised above the skin surface, they may bleed if nicked when shaving. VeinGogh and localized treatment with a laser are both useful in abolishing them. Rarely do cherry angiomas return if initial treatment is thorough.
Angiokeratoma was first described by John Addison Fordyce in 1896, after he saw a 60 year old man with small vascular lesions of the scrotum. This benign condition appears as small (1 to 4-5mm) red to dark purple raised papules on the scrotal skin. The condition has been reported to occur also on the penis and female labia. On microscopic examination these vascular lesions are composed of thin-walled vessels. These usually cause no symptoms but can bleed and stain undergarments. I have treated several patients over the years with these scrotal lesions and have had success using sclerotherapy for the larger ones and VeinGogh for the smaller ones.
VeinGogh has recently come out with a “bristle” tip that is touted to perform better for the usual sized leg spider veins, ones larger than the tiny ones customarily on the face. I have no experience using the bristle tip, but will report on my results as I accumulate experience with it.