Spider Veins
What are spider veins?
Description and causes of spider veins.
Treatment for Spider Veins
Details about injection sclerotherapy and laser surgery techniques to treat spider veins.
Why choose NYU?
Details of the largest team of leading-edge vascular surgeons in New York City who perform laser surgery for spider veins, with a focus on treating the whole patient and commitment to research and clinical trials to advance treatment of spider veins.
NYU Spider Vein Doctors
Vascular specialists at New York University who treat patients with spider veins.
What are spider veins?
Spider veins are small red or blue veins that appear close to the surface of the skin. Their short, jagged patterns look like spider webs.
What causes spider veins?
Like varicose veins, spider veins are caused by venous insufficiency, or weakness of the valves within the veins near the skin. As these valves weaken, blood backs up, pools in the veins, and causes the superficial veins to dilate.
Spider veins may be brought on by hormonal changes, sun exposure, or a genetic predisposition to vein disorders.
Treatment for Spider Veins
Spider veins do not generally require medical treatment, but are often treated because patients find them cosmetically unappealing.
Spider veins typically treated with one of the following techniques:
- laser surgery
- injection sclerotherapy (chemical injections)
Why choose NYU?
NYU Medical Center’s vascular surgeons perform both types of spider vein treatment — sclerotherapy and laser surgery. Rather than performing a mere cosmetic "fix" for varicose veins and spider veins, NYU physicians focus on treating the whole patient. Our surgeons work with each patient to critically evaluate his or her unique health needs, assess whether underlying causes increase that patient’s risk for other health problems, and make the best treatment decision for that patient.
One of New York City’s leading academic medical centers, NYU offers patient care in virtually every field of medicine. Patients who choose NYU for spider vein surgery have direct access to the nation’s award-winning experts for treatment of health issues related and unrelated to vascular disease.
NYU Medical Center’s Division of Vascular Surgery offers the largest team of top-level vascular specialists in New York City. NYU surgeons are deeply committed to finding the most advanced, innovative, proven methods to treat varicose veins and spider veins.
Each of NYU’s vascular surgeons is a faculty member working to translate internationally prominent clinical and academic research into new, promising treatment methods and better medical care. Clinical trials and leading-edge research at NYU evaluate promising new techniques to treat varicose veins. NYU’s physicians participate in scientific review boards, provide high-quality medical care for participating patients, and assist the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in evaluating new treatment methods for FDA approval.
Our Spider Vein Specialists
NYU Langone Medical Center
550 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016
1-877-4-NYUCVI (698284)
Mark A. Adelman, M.D.
Chief of Vascular Surgery
Neal Cayne, M.D.
Director of the NYU Endovascular Surgery Program
Glenn R. Jacobowitz, M.D.
Vice Chief of the NYU Division of Vascular Surgery / Director of Vascular Surgical Services at Tisch Hospital
Lowell S. Kabnick, M.D.
Director of the NYU Vein Center
Patrick J. Lamparello, M.D.
Vice-Chair of Vascular Surgery / Director of the Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program
Thomas Maldonado, M.D.
Chief of Vascular Surgery, Bellevue Hospital
Firas F. Mussa, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Surgery at the NYU School of Medicine
Thomas S. Riles, M.D.
Associate Dean for Medical Education and Technology / Frank C. Spencer Professor of Surgery
Caron Rockman, M.D.
Director of Medical Education and the Director of Clinical Research for the NYU Division of Vascular Surgery
Frank J. Veith, M.D.
The First U.S. Surgeon to Perform an Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
