Maybe you’ve suffered from varicose veins for years and are fed up with the pain, or maybe you’ve just noticed spider veins on your ankles, face, or chest. Regardless of your condition, once you decide it’s time to seek treatment, you’ll want to find a vein clinic you feel comfortable with. It would be easy to tell you to come to the Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City, but rather than just shamelessly promote ourselves, our goal is to help you find the right place for you.
Categories to Consider
We’ve put together some criteria to look at to make sure you make the best decision. We break it down into seven important categories to consider:
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- Doctors
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- Facility
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- Accreditation
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- Treatment Options
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- Insurance
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- Proximity
- Comfort Level
Venous Disorder Doctors
Check out the doctors at each facility. Do a little research on them to make sure they have a good reputation. Pay attention to how long they’ve been practicing too. You want to have confidence in your doctor. You can even ask for references from previous patients to get a firsthand account of how they felt about their doctor, not to mention other areas of satisfaction with the procedure(s). Find out more about Dr. Barbieri here.
Clinics’ Facilities
The easiest way to assess the physical facility is to make a visit. Most clinics will also have photos of their facility online so you can get an idea of what the place looks like and see how it makes you feel.
IAC Accreditation at each Vein Center
IAC (Intersocietal Accreditation Commission) accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement. An IAC accreditation is widely respected within the medical community, as illustrated by the support of the national medical societies related to venous disorders, which include physicians, physician extenders, nurses and ultrasound technologists. It ensures:
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- The training and experience of the vein specialist performing the procedure.
- The type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure.
Research this status and confirm that the places you are considering have achieved it.In case you were wondering, yes, The Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City is accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in Vein Center in the area of Superficial Venous Treatment and Management:
As the IAC website explains: “Accreditation by the IAC indicates that Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City has undergone an intensive application and review process and is found to be in compliance with the published Standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in vein treatment and management. Comprised of a detailed self-evaluation followed by a thorough review by a panel of medical experts, the IAC accreditation process enables both the critical operational and technical components of the applicant facility to be assessed, including representative case studies and their corresponding final reports.”
When scheduling a vein center procedure, we encourage our patients to research the accreditation status of our facility. Learn more by visiting intersocietal.org/vein/main/patients.htm.
Vein Treatment Options
There are many options for treating varicose and spider veins, so familiarize yourself with those options and find out which treatments are available from which clinics. The Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City offers the following vein treatments:
- Radio Frequency Ablation
- Sclerotherapy
- Laser Vein Ablation
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy
- Laser Therapy
- Compression Support Garments
Insurance For Vein Treatment
Because vein treatment is a medical procedure, it’s best to confirm with your insurance company that the procedure will be covered. Many varicose vein treatments are covered under medical insurance, however, most spider vein treatments are not because they are considered aesthetic and voluntary treatments, not health-related procedures, thus not covered by health insurance.
Proximity Of Vein Clinics To You
This category is strictly for convenience which is why it is further down on the list of considerations. However, some treatments may require follow-up visits afterward, so you may not want to choose a clinic that is geographically undesirable.
Comfort Level & Personal Feelings
Once you’ve done your due diligence in comparing available clinics, it comes down to your gut feeling about the whole thing – doctors, staff, facility, treatment options – all of it. Listen to your gut and choose the place that makes you feel the most comfortable. Of course, we hope it will be the Vein Clinic of Greater Kansas City, but in the end, we just want to see you get the treatment you need to feel better, look better, and live your life to its fullest.
Want to know more about the process of vein treatment and all of the options available? Download our FREE guide to Vein Treatment Timelines below!
