Saint Francis Medical Center invites the community to attend a FREE educational seminar on how to be rid of painful and embarrassing varicose veins. The event is scheduled for Monday, October 27, 2008, at 5:30 pm at the Holiday Inn in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

The Vein and Laser Center offers a clinically proven, minimally invasive way to treat varicose veins with little or no discomfort. Saint Francis thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon John C. Wiggans, MD, FACS, will explain your options for eliminating varicose veins using the area's only CoolTouch CTEV™ laser.

Varicose veins are bulging, twisted blood vessels in the legs that make your legs feel heavy, tired or achy and may signal other underlying problems, such as peripheral vascular disease. Varicose veins are common to both men and women. About 15 percent of men and about 25 percent of women in the United States have varicose veins. An added advantage of the services at the Vein and Laser Center is the thorough medical evaluation from an experienced vascular surgeon provided to each patient prior to deciding on a course of therapy.

Unsightly and uncomfortable varicose veins could become a thing of the past thanks to the cutting-edge treatments now available at Saint Francis Medical Center. To R.S.V.P. or for more information, call Saint Francis Marketing and Public Relations at 573-331-5877 or e-mail jstreiler@sfmc.net.