Varicose Veins and Venous Insufficiency
What are Varicose Veins and Venous insufficiency?
The veins in the legs are responsible for returning blood to the heart. To do this, veins contain specialized structures known as valves. The valves open and close to propel blood up against gravity towards the heart. Over time, valves can become damaged. When this occurs, blood can sit and pull back into the lower extremity. This causes the veins to become larger, and patients may experience swelling, aching, heaviness, or night cramping due to this process. This is referred to as symptomatic venous insufficiency. Some patients may have the condition but do not have any symptoms. This is termed asymptomatic venous insufficiency.
While venous insufficiency is harmless in some, symptoms can become debilitating for patients. The back-up of blood from venous insufficiency into extremities can lead to enlargement of other veins in the legs as well. These enlarged veins can look like ropes or cords and are called varicose veins. When patients do have significant symptoms from this disease process it can lead to significant medical concerns.
What do I do if I have concerns about venous disease?
If concerned about varicose veins or lower extremity swelling, make an appointment with a local vascular surgeon for further evaluation. You should expect to have a referral followed by an ultrasound to evaluate your legs. An ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging study that can evaluate the valves in your veins for damage. Based on these results, further recommendations will be provided to you. At Vascular and Renal Care of Florida, we will likely be able to do your ultrasound the same day or week.
Do I have to have surgery for my varicose veins or venous insufficiency?
If your symptoms are not debilitating and well managed at home, you do not need to have a procedure. Options for non-operative treatment include elevation whenever seated, compression stockings, weight loss, and proper skin care. If bleeding from the varicose veins is occurring, there are open wounds or ulcerations on your extremities, or your symptoms are preventing you from having a good quality of life, your provider will recommend treatment.
What does surgery look like for my venous insufficiency?
There are several options to treat venous disease. For venous insufficiency, treatments include radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, or venaseal (glue to seal the vein). The treatment option that may be recommended for one patient does not always work for another. Ultrasound results will help guide treatment options to choose the right surgery for each patient.