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Let’s take a quick trip back to Freshman Biology 101 and review blood vessels. Arteries take fresh, oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. Once that blood reaches its destination and the oxygen and nutrients are utilized, veins return the blood to the heart and lungs, to be once again replenished. This is an elegant system that has functioned beautifully for millennia, but even the most well-designed systems can develop problems and disease of the venous system is very common.

Vein disorders can affect any vein in the body in the body including the face, hands and chest. Leg veins are particularly vulnerable to the effects of gravity. They must return blood “uphill” to reach the heart and to do so, rely on leg muscles and a series of one-way valves located in the veins themselves. The valves inside the veins often fail, no longer preventing blood from falling back down into the legs. Over time, these veins begin to dilate due to the extra volume of blood remaining in the legs. As venous disease develops, it can manifest in many ways - from cramping or restless legs to blue or brown discoloration of the skin, to severe varicose veins and even skin breakdown. Regardless of how it presents, the underlying cause is the same - failure of veins to effectively return blood to the heart.

Family history is the single biggest risk factor for the development of vein disease. Other contributors include age, gender, being overweight, occupations that involve prolonged standing or sitting, and previous injury to the veins by trauma or blood clots. In women, additional risk factors include number of pregnancies, and hormone changes caused by menopause or birth control pills.

Fortunately, treatment of vein disease has reached success rates as high as 98%. Technology has evolved over the years to the point where almost all peripheral venous treatment may be performed in the office with minimal or no discomfort at all. These techniques include laser, radio frequency, surgical adhesive, sclerotherapy, and phlebectomy. Regardless of the modality, they all ultimately work by closing the culprit veins. This results in blood that was previously “held” in the diseased vein being redirected into the deep vein system where it is more efficiently returned to normal circulation.

Call us today so we can work with you to determine the best approach to your condition.