Choosing a new physician, especially a specialist, can be a daunting task. Finding someone who makes you feel comfortable is especially important, so that you are willing to bring up all health concerns you have and have a willingness to visit your doctor regularly. Moreover finding someone who has a high level of expertise, accepts your insurance and is located near you can make the task even more difficult and lead to an overwhelming headache.
If you are looking for a physician to treat varicose veins or spider veins then there are a few particular characteristics you should be looking for. First off, you want someone who has experience providing both surgically and non-invasive treatments. If possible you should try and speak to previous patients and see how their experiences were, or even accept recommendations from friends and family. There are also clinics that that have physicians that specialize in different treatments, so you should consider whether collaborative medicine would be right for you. Finally, you may want to ask the physician how many patients she/he has worked with, the number of complications he has had to deal with and what type of treatments he normally prescribes. You want someone that comes up with a personalized treatment plan for each patient they see, so that you can get the best treatment for your veins. Finally it is important that you see a vein specialist who is board certified in phlebology as this ensures that their specialty is the treatment of veins.
On another note, while you may be put off by malpractice suits against a physician, studies show that these normally have nothing to do with the quality of care you will receive. Furthermore, the number of years a physician is out of school, or even the school they attended, is not a sure fire away to determine that they are going to be a successful doctor for you.
Finally, there are a few other things that should be addressed when picking a physician. You need to consider his/her proximity to you. This will affect your willingness to travel to their office. Second, if there was an emergency which hospital would you be sent to? Do you feel comfortable with your doctor’s relationship with that hospital? Are you able to get X-rays, have your blood drawn and receive other tests in the office or is there another location your doctor will send you to. Lastly, how is the office demeanor? Did you feel welcomed by the office staff and nurses? Is the waiting room comfortable? Were you seen promptly? The atmosphere of the office will play a huge role in how you feel as a patient there.
Remember that finding a new vein doctor can be a lot like dating, you may have to go through a couple less than desirable circumstances before you find someone you are looking for. However, if you keep up the search, you’re bound to find someone you’re willing to stick by.
