St. Louis doctor among first in U.S. to use newly cleared treatment for spider veins

The Veinwave device

ST. LOUIS, Missouri — A St. Louis doctor is among the first in the U.S. to use a minimally invasive treatment for spider veins with a device that was pioneered in the United Kingdom.

The device, called Veinwave, was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July and has been in use in the U.K. since 2001. Dr. Mark Blumenthal, of the Vein Center and Cosmed in St. Louis, recently began treating patients using the newly cleared technology.

Launched by Dr. Brian Newman in London, England, Veinwave uses a process called “unipolar thermocoagulation” in which heat is applied to an affected area via an “ultra-fine insulated needle,” causing the veins to collapse, according to a statement from the British company that markets the device.

The company, Sovereign Medical Health, says treated veins disappear instantly and the treatment comes with less risk of pain, burning and scarring than lasers, which are often used to treat spider veins.

Earlier this month, Newman was scheduled to conduct two seminars in Boston for physicians interested in learning more about the technology.