chest veins

As a physician, there are multiple etiologies for chest veins.  But outside of liver, cardiac, blood dyscrasias, and other reasons, I've had visible congenital chest veins that had plagued me since childhood.   I was the guy who NEVER participated in the "skins vs. shirts" basketball games.  I was humilated and envied my cohorts who could simply slip off their shirt on a whim.  When I was in medical school in the '80's, I sought the care of a vascular surgeon who said "I won't touch that with a 10 foot pole."  Well, I'm older now and approaching my 50's.  I'm in excellent shape, being a marathoner with a 29in waist and a 40 in chest and am "carded" quite frequently when obtaining an alcoholic drink".     Fortunately new advancements have successfully allowed dissolution of reticular veins.  Once the concerning issues as described above are "ruled-out," then physicians can advance to implement disolution of chest veins.  I sought care at the "Morrison Vein Institute Vein & Laser Center of Arizona" and received treatment by a nurse practicioner would injected the veins which ultimately dissolved the veins.   Well, it's been 5 weeks and the major unsightly chest "roadmap" that has plagued me all my life...the nemesis of my self-deprication, self-loathing, has been deleted.  I specifically avoided having kids because I didn't want any kids having the same issues that I had had.  My skin was genetically thin with visible reticular chest veins which haunted me all my life.   I'm in excellent physical shape and now am less inhibited to take off my shirt when swimming, etc.  This has been a god send.  Don't be afraid to have these chest veins removed especially if they are congenital (my case).  Rule out other life threatening issues first and discuss these issues w/ your doc.  I understand the adversities involved in these similar cases because I lived it!  I'm a 45 y/o male who is very athletic, and as a  physician who is finally able to understand the youthful issues that other men have experienced in their teens, the vein removal has been a sense of "nirvana."  I need a couple of other veins removed that are not as visible as my initial veins and will return in a couple of weeks to have these removed.  It's funny, but I remember so well in the 8th grade, my friend "Rupert" who laughed at me because I had visible chest veins when playing basketball and I was selected to be on the "skins" team...."Damn...you've got veins on your chest" (which he pointed out on the right side of my chest and was followed by his laughter).  This statement caused me a life long battle of my chest veins.  If any of you guys are experiencing these issues out there in America,  write me!  I totally understand the issues at hand.  I can explain the medical issues.  But most of all, rule out the life threatening issues first and foremost.  I'm totally laying my life adversities on the line to help any guys that are experiencing the same thing that I've experienced in my life.  thanks guys.  Hang in there.  Calvin


This discussion is related to Distended veins on chest.