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Varicose Veins
More than 40 million adults in the United States have varicose veins. Many people and even some doctors consider the ropey, bulging leg veins a cosmetic concern. In reality, varicose veins are a medical matter that can indicate a vascular health problem.
“Arteries take blood from the heart to the toes and all places in between, whereas veins move blood from the legs up to the heart,” explains Samuel P. Martin, MD, FACS, founder of Vascular Vein Centers.
“People have two venous systems: the deep vein system (within the muscle tissue) and the superficial vein system (outside the muscles),” he continues. “Normal pressure in veins is about one-tenth of that in arteries. There are tens of thousands of tiny one-way valves that keep low-pressure blood flow from slipping backward toward the toes.”
Without muscle movement to help push it forward, blood in the superficial vein system can back up and increase in pressure, causing leakage across the valves.
“When these vein valves fail and allow blood to leak backward toward the toes, blood pools inside the veins and the pressure in them increases,” Dr. Martin says. “That causes the leg veins to bulge and branch out, creating the visible and sometimes invisible varicose veins. This condition is called chronic venous insufficiency.”
Venous insufficiency occurs when blood flow in the deep and/or superficial systems does not move from the extremities back to the heart as it should.
Symptoms include a feeling of heaviness in the legs, achiness, burning, throbbing, cramping and swelling. Patients may also experience itchiness around the varicose veins and skin discoloration or thickening. Painful, bleeding and potentially limb-threatening venous ulcers may develop if skin changes are not treated appropriately.
“An evaluation at any of Vascular Vein Centers’ accredited facilities includes a thorough physical exam and diagnostic ultrasound imaging by a registered ultrasound technologist,” Dr. Martin describes. “This produces real-time video images of the blood flow and blood vessels. Even the various sounds of blood flow are part of the examination. If chronic venous insufficiency is detected, a customized treatment plan is created for each patient.”
The therapies that can be used to treat varicose veins resulting from chronic venous insufficiency include endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) and Varithena®.
With EVLT, ultrasound guidance is used to insert a small fiber into the affected vein. Heat energy from a laser is then applied to the vein, sealing it.
Varithena uses a foam sclerosing agent, which is a substance that, when injected, shrinks the vein wall and seals the vein. Once sealed, blood naturally reroutes through nearby healthy veins.
“The varicose vein treatments at Vascular Vein Centers are minimally invasive outpatient procedures that are performed right in our office,” Dr. Martin assures. “Typically, patients can return to most of their regular activities right away, looking and feeling much better.
“And treatment is covered by most medical insurance, including Medicare and TriCare. As part of our service to best treat patients, our authorization team will validate all medical insurance.
“I recommend that all people make an appointment at Vascular Vein Centers if they are unhappy with the appearance of their varicose veins, or if any of the symptoms appear and begin to disrupt their work and active lifestyle.
“With our treatments, they can have healthy legs in 2024.”
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