Veins1: Welcome to the Veins1 vascular moderated chat. This will be the first of four moderated chats on Veins1 in October. Each will be held Tuesday at 9:00 pm eastern standard time. We welcome your questions and your input.

Veins1: Today's guest is Gregory A. Spitz, M.D., F.A.C.S. Dr. Spitz is a leading general surgeon, and the inventor of the surgical technique for varicose vein removal used with the TriVexÔ System. As a member of the Senior Attending and Teaching Staff at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL, Dr. Spitz specializes in minimally invasive vein surgery, advanced laparoscopy and minimally invasive hernia repair.

Veins1: Dr. Spitz is a member of the American Medical Association and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is also a member of the Illinois State Medical Society, Kane County Medical Society (Secretary of Treasury, President-Elect, Board of Directors), Fox Valley Medicine (Board of Directors), the Warren Cole Surgical Society and the American College of Phlebology (member and speaker).

Veins1: He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL. His internship and residency were performed at the University of Illinois, Metropolitan Group Hospitals, Chicago, IL.

Veins1: Great to have you. Dr. Spitz, how did you get interested in vascular health?
Dr. Spitz: I began my interest in vein treatment when I was a surgery resident at Univ. of Illinois and realized there was a great need not being filled for patients. Many different techniques that were tedious and cumbersome with questionable results were being utilized.

Veins1: Have you and your family been impacted by vascular problems?
Dr. Spitz: My own mother had a severe varicose vein problem causing her pain, swelling and even difficulty walking as it got worse. She is now 80 years old. She had a TriVexÔ procedure about 6 months ago after ultrasound testing and is doing quite well. Other doctors thought it was a back problem or something like arthritis

Veins1: Is this what inspired your work with the TriVexÔ technology?

Dr. Spitz: The TriVexÔ procedure started in 1996 with a large volume of varicose vein patients and varying results with other techniques. Something new had to be done and the work began.

Veins1: Can you tell the observers what signs they have to look for to tell them that they are candidates for the TriVexÔ procedure?
Dr. Spitz: Common symptoms are pain (sometimes not very painful), itching, swelling with heaviness. Patients need to see a qualified vein specialist preferably a surgeon who has all options open to them. A thorough vascular consultation and ultrasound testing (which is painless) should be completed before a patient contemplates having vein surgery or treatment

Veins1: What are the best ways to find a qualified specialist?
Dr. Spitz: Our whole philosophy at Amerivein (our vein practice) is to do the diagnosis and treatment the right way ONCE! Veins1.com is a great source to find a doctor in your area that can diagnose and treat patients.

Veins1: What constitutes a qualified specialist? What sort of training does this entail?
Dr. Spitz: Hundreds of surgeons have now been trained in TriVexÔ and we take great pride in not just teaching them a procedure but all that goes into treating a vein patient well. A board certified general or vascular surgeon is the preferable choice to have veins treated.

Veins1: Is TriVexÔ available only in the US, or around the world?
Dr. Spitz: TriVexÔ is now available in most European countries as well as in Asia and Australia and Canada.

Veins1: Dr. Spitz, in your practice, do you treat more women than men for varicose problems?
Dr. Spitz: 25-30 percent of women and 10-15 percent of men have a varicose vein problem. It is more common in women, but men commonly have the problem and since utilizing TriVexÔ, male as well as female patients are being treated

Veins1: What percent seek treatment? And what are the common reasons for procrastination?
Dr. Spitz: There are no good numbers for that, but one thing is for sure: there is no shortage of patients needing treatment. One of the big obstacles is getting the information out to patients as well as other physicians that there is excellent treatment available now. Other patients remember the OLD FASHIONED VEIN STRIPPING as painful and scarring. With state-of-the-art treatment and TriVexÔ, treating one entire leg takes 35-40 minutes as an outpatient.

Veins1: What are the best sources for getting the word out to people?

Dr. Spitz: Veins1 has been a very comprehensive source for patients with vein problems of all kinds...I haven't seen another site quite like it.

Veins1: How long before patients resume their daily activities?
Dr. Spitz: Patients wear a dressing for 2 days and are ambulatory (walking) right after the operation. We only ask that they abstain from heavy lifting or high impact exercise for 10-12 days.

Veins1: Are varicose veins dangerous if not treated?
Dr. Spitz: Varicose veins are a true medical problem leading to potentially open wounds (ulcer), edema (swelling) bleeding, and blood clots.

Veins1: Many ask if the veins that are removed are needed in the body? Are they?
Dr. Spitz: Treating the source of the problem before these complications occur is preferred. We only remove BROKEN or DAMAGED veins that have been acting like a "clog" in the system...there are hundreds of normal veins that work better after the damaged ones are removed.

Veins1: Thank you Dr. Spitz for your insightful responses tonight.

Veins1: And thank you audience for your participation in the Veins1 vascular moderated chat.  Remember, this was the first of four moderated chats on Veins1 in October.  Each will be held at 9:00 pm eastern standard time.  The next chat will be 10/8 at 9:00 pm eastern standard time.