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Venous
insufficiency is a condition in which the veins do not
efficiently return blood from the lower legs back to the heart.
Venous insufficiency can involve one or more veins. The valves
in the veins channel the flow of blood toward the heart. When
these valves are damaged, the blood leaks and pools in the legs
and feet. Symptoms include swelling of the legs and pain in the
extremities. Chronic Venous insufficiency is a prolonged
condition of incompetent venous circulation and can be
associated with discoloration of the skin of the ankles due to
accumulation of blood degradation products in the skin.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted, painful superficial veins
resulting from poorly functioning valves.
Vein
Surgery is the treatment of choice for larger varicose veins in
order to achieve both the desired cosmetic results and to
relieve symptoms such as aching, swelling and pain caused by leg
varicosities. Today’s surgical techniques for varicose veins
require minimal incisions and are performed on an outpatient
basis with average recovery time of one week or less. Meticulous
effort is made to achieve optimal cosmetic and therapeutic
results.
Laser Vein Ablation is a newer technique to treat varicose veins
and varicosities. Laser Vein Ablation uses an endovenous approach to
occlude the vein and eliminate reflux. Using ultrasound
guidance, the surgeon positions a catheter into the diseased
vein through a small opening in the skin. The tiny catheter delivers laser energy to the vein wall causing the vein to shrink and close. Once the diseased vein is closed, the blood
is re-routed to other healthy veins.
This
procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and patients are
able to
return to normal activities within a few days. The procedure is
relatively
painless and most patients notice improvement in their symptoms
right away.
Laser and Sclerotherapy are used to treat "spider" veins and small to medium sized varicose veins. In the treatment of these smaller veins, a tiny beam of laser energy is transmitted externally.
Sclerotherapy is an injection treatment in which a solution is injected to eliminate "spider" veins and small to medium sized varicose veins. A solution is injected into the problem vein with a very fine
needle. The vein wall becomes irritated. Subsequent application
of external compression with dressings and prescription gradient
compression hose seals the vein wall together. The body breaks
down the damaged vein and absorbs it, ultimately eliminating the
problem vein. No pre-treatment patient preparation is needed and
most patients describe only minimal discomfort. After treatment
patients resume normal activities, but are asked to avoid
prolonged sitting and standing for 3 days and heavy exercise
(weight lifting, running and high impact aerobics) for two
weeks. Walking is encouraged after the treatments.
Prescription-gradient compression hose are worn for 10 days
after each treatment. |
