Sometimes the strongest women carry the biggest secrets. And it’s these secrets that Northwest Vascular and Vein Specialists’ team of medical professionals hear from their patients every single day.

“There are women who go years without wearing shorts or dresses or bathing suits simply because they don’t like the looks of their legs,” explains Dr. Susanne K. Woloson, who was one of the first Vascular Surgeons to perform minimally invasive vein ablations 15 years ago. “How their legs look and feel starts to affect them not only physically, but psychologically. But once they see how easily they can be helped, a whole new life opens up to them. It’s incredible to witness.”

Indeed, with springtime finally here, many men and women are walking through the doors of Northwest Vascular and Vein Specialists looking to face those vein problems that have often plagued them for years.

“Most of our patients come in because they are experiencing tired and achy swollen legs,” says Dr. Woloson, who has also served as a certified physician trainer for AngioDynamics for the last ten years. “It’s one of those things that remind us that we are not as young as we used to be,” she laughs. “It’s about improving your quality of life. If you are in pain, you aren’t going to exercise. And if you don’t exercise, there is no way to a better life.”

As patients enter Northwest Vascular and Vein Specialists—one of the largest practices in the Midwest that has performed more than 10,000 laser ablations—one of the first things they notice is that it doesn’t feel like a doctor’s office at all. Instead, it feels welcoming and comfortable. Filled with beautiful furniture and a friendly staff (many who have worked there for more than 20 years), patients immediately feel at ease.

“We are truly a family around here,” explains Dr. Woloson. “We pride ourselves in making sure that every face you see is a friendly one.”

And it’s these talented and friendly faces that encourage patients to finally face their fears about these procedures, in which board-certified vascular surgeons and registered vascular technologists use cutting-age technologies to quickly and seamlessly identify and treat varicose veins.

Sometimes the fear does not lie within the procedure itself, but the fear of the unknown.

“The potential complications tend to be what causes the most apprehension for the patient,” says Dr. Woloson. “But we always tell our patients that we have had zero percent of blood clots after procedure. We have done these procedures thousands of times, but not one patient has experienced a blood clot after the procedure.”

But make no mistake–this is not a field for amateurs.

“We have expertise in vein procedures and years of training that you are simply not going to find in some of the new practices out there,” explains Dr. Woloson. “We don’t dabble in a ton of different procedures like so many other people are doing, and there are so many out there that are doing the treatments incorrectly. I mean, there are online courses that will teach you to become a vein specialist. We are not those people. We are professionals who are ready to take care of you no matter how complicated your vein issue is.”

Northwest Vascular and Vein Specialists has offices in Libertyville, Skokie, and Arlington Heights, 847-577-5814, northwestveinspecialists.com.