BILLINGS - Varicose and spider veins are not only unsightly, but they can also be painful.
Doctor Bo Johnson at the Rocky Mountain Vein Clinic says he offers a relatively pain-free way to get rid of them.
One in three Americans age 45 and older suffer from vein problems in their legs.
"If one parent has venous disease there's a 70% chance their children will have it," said Dr. Johnson. "If both parents have it it's 90%."
Johnson uses laser and radio frequency treatments to correct painful, bulging, and let's face it, not so pretty varicose and spider veins.
"The symptoms are heavy, achy, tired and restless feeling," said Dr. Johnson.
Julie Donald, 38, is one of Dr. Johnson's most common patients; a teacher who has spent years on her feet.
"I didn't want to wear shorts anymore because of the bulging and my feet were really swollen by the end of the day and my shoes were hurting," said Donald.
Dr. Johnson said most vein issues stem from leakage in the two large, superficial veins in the legs.
"We put a little numbing medicine into the skin and put a catheter inside the vein and put some numbing fluid around the vein," explained Dr. Johnson.
Then, he does not pull the veins out, rather he uses a laser or extreme heat produced from the radio frequency device to plug the vein so blood cannot flow through it anymore.
He uses ultrasound to guide him through the process.
Donald has already had the procedure done on her right leg and is now having it done on her left. She is also having a second procedure called microphlebectomy done where the smaller varicose veins just underneath the skin are cut out.
She said this is the most uncomfortable part.
Dr. Johnson said plugging the veins does not compromise the blood flow to the legs because your main blood supply comes from deep tissue veins, and because he said the veins are not functioning properly anyway.
He said there is a 90% success rate that the veins will not reopen.
"It's not a burden to have it done because it's worth the results, and just a little bit of discomfort," said Donald.
The procedure is covered by most insurance providers.
Dr. Johnson also has a vein clinic in Cody.