Venous Disease? Run This Way

JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
With the vein issues in his legs corrected, Jere is able to resume his activities. He’s now distance walking, with an occasional run if he gets restless.

At age 22, Jere Preisinger worked in a factory, but he wasn’t happy there. He was more interested in a career in food service, but not long after researching employment opportunities, he decided instead to enlist in the Air Force.

“In 1977, the military was rather quiet. There wasn’t much going on, and they really needed people after the post-Vietnam exodus, when everybody left the military,” Jere recalls. “The Air Force seemed like a good opportunity and a smart thing to do. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Jere, now 69, spent nine years in the Air Force and another 16 years with the New York Air National Guard. As a result, he qualified for a full military pension.

Jere held several jobs in the military. In addition to food service, he worked in human relations and even spent time as a paralegal. After his discharge, Jere pursued a second career.

“I enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and earned an associates degree as a chef,” he recounts. “I got a job as the food service director for a private alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility. I had a staff of 15 to 19 people, and we prepared meals for 150 patients and 200 staff members.”

Thanks to his military pension, Jere was able to retire at age 60. That gave him more time to pursue one of his greatest passions — running. Before long, though, Jere began to experience issues with his legs that kept him off his feet for long periods. Ultimately, Jere’s leg problem became so severe that it stopped him in his tracks.

“I was a long-distance runner,” Jere expounds. “I ran between 40 and 70 miles a week and completed three marathons. But around 2013, I started pulling my calf muscles, which would lay me up for six weeks at a time. I didn’t seek medical attention because I thought the pulled muscles were due to a nutritional imbalance.

“But over the past few years, I started to developed varicose veins. I also had swelling and pain and sometimes numbness in my legs that kept me from running. Then, the inside of my right ankle started turning black. That scared me, so I went to my physician, who referred me to Dr. Joyce.”

Venous Basics

Douglas H. Joyce, DO, FACOS, FACPh, is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon at Joyce Vein & Aesthetic Institute in Punta Gorda. He specializes in treating venous disease with minimally invasive procedures and addresses all stages of the condition, from spider veins to venous ulcers.

There are two main vein systems in the body: the high-pressure central system deep within the muscles and the low-pressure superficial system just beneath the skin. The superficial system channels into the central system through multiple perforator veins and the great and small saphenous veins.

These veins have one-way valves that facilitate blood drainage toward the heart, preventing any backward flow or pooling in the legs. When the valves become weakened or damaged, a condition called venous insufficiency occurs. This leads to the accumulation of blood in the legs, which triggers swelling, discomfort, skin discoloration and the development of varicose veins — symptoms observed in Jere.

During his initial exam, Dr. Joyce used ultrasound and discovered Jere’s legs had a significant number of incompetent veins, including “the great and small saphenous veins in both legs and some perforator veins in both legs.”

To get Jere back on his feet and running again, Dr. Joyce’s recommended “correcting every incompetent vein” that he discovered through two minimally invasive procedures, standard laser ablation and single-needle laser ablation.

“We use standard laser ablation to close the saphenous veins and their major branches,” Dr. Joyce offers. “During that procedure, we slide a laser fiber into and along the length of the damaged vein and use laser energy to seal the entire vein. Blood flow is then rerouted to healthy veins.”
-Dr. Joyce

To treat the perforator veins, Dr. Joyce uses single-needle laser ablation, a technique he pioneered. Using ultrasound guidance, he places a specially designed needle into the targeted vein. He then applies an anesthetic and turns on the laser for 15 to 20 seconds, which spot-welds and seals the vein.

“We encourage patients to wait until two weeks after a procedure before beginning any strenuous activity such as running, or playing pickleball or tennis,” Dr. Joyce states. “These activities cause bouncing and compression of the legs, which can result in discomfort. There is also a risk for reopening the newly sealed veins. Other than that, patients can return to regular activities, including swimming and golfing, as soon as the bandages come off, which typically occurs two days after the procedure.”

Just a Memory

Following Dr. Joyce’s advice, Jere waited until his legs were healed before returning to his activities.

But there was one tiny twist: Instead of running, Jere switched to distance walking.

“I walk between a 13- and 14-minute mile, and I walk six miles every day,” he enthuses. “Sometimes, I get restless walking so I’ll run a little bit, but just a little. I’m not as young as I used to be. Having my legs fixed has really given me the freedom to go out and enjoy my activities without having to worry about injuring myself.”

Jere’s symptoms are now a memory. He knows the varicose veins, pain, swelling, heaviness and muscle cramping in his legs were signs of venous insufficiency.

“Apparently, the blood flow in my legs was messed up because my veins weren’t working right,” Jere reflects. “But that’s all been straightened out, and the black mark on my ankle is almost completely gone. My veins are healed and working properly again. Dr. Joyce’s procedures really work well.”

Jere is grateful he was referred to Dr. Joyce because finding the right specialist matters.

“Dr. Joyce is one of a kind — in a good way,” Jere raves. “He’s extremely knowledgeable and knows what he’s talking about. He’s a cardiovascular surgeon who left cardiovascular surgery to specialize in varicose veins, so he has expertise.

“He’s even pioneered a way of fixing bad veins that’s over and above what anyone else is doing, so I would highly recommend him and Joyce Vein & Aesthetic Institute to anybody who has varicose veins.”