BOSTON, Mass. - A new machine that's the size of a suitcase can instantly and painlessly erase spider veins during quick outpatient appointments.

The CardioVascular Institute (CVI) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has become the first medical group in Boston to offer Veinwave™ technology since its June approval for the treatment of telangiectasia (spider or thread veins) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The thermo-coagulation technique, developed by a British vascular surgeon, has been used successfully by physicians in Europe for more than a decade.

At the CVI, the treatment is provided by board-certified vascular surgeons from the Division of Vascular Surgery, including: Frank Pomposelli, MD, chief; Allen D. Hamdan, MD; Marc L. Schermerhorn, MD, Mark C. Wyers, MD. Emily R. Mulla, NP, will also perform the procedure. For an appointment, please call 617-632-9959.

"Veinwave produces instant results," said Dr. Hamdan, clinical director of the CVI's Division of Vascular Surgery. "The patient can see his or her spider veins disappear as the physician works. The result is so quick that in the UK, it has been called a 'lunch-time procedure.' "

Affordable Veinwave treatment is effective for eliminating red vascular blemishes and thread-like veins from the legs, arms, face and other parts of the body, according to Dr. Hamdan. The procedure causes only minor discomfort and causes no side effects, no bruising and no scarring. Bandages are unnecessary, and the patient's skin can be exposed immediately to the sun.

"The physician traces the veins or blemish with an insulated probe without piercing the skin," Dr. Hamdan said. "Radio frequency energy heats the weakened or damaged blood vessels that cause the spider veins or blemish, resulting in their disappearance."

Depending on the size of the veins, the physicians may combine sclerotherapy and thermocoagulation to maximize results. Sclerotherapy (previously the only treatment for spider veins) involves injecting a chemical solution into your veins so they collapse. Like thermocoagulation, sclerotherapy is non-invasive and painless. Spider vein treatment, while affordable, is not typically covered by insurance.