Valves in your veins must function properly if a person is to have good circulatory health. But a surprising amount of people have a problem with malfunctioning valves, most commonly valves in the legs. In fact, an estimated 40% of the US population is thought to be affected by venous insufficiency.
Those with venous insufficiency will often feel heaviness in the legs, accompanied by swelling and pain. Sometimes the skin darkens as well. Fortunately, most cases have light and non-threatening symptoms, and can be treated noninvasively, with exercise, compression stockings, and weight loss regimens.
It is important to catch this condition early, and take action. When valves aren’t working properly, blood pools and puts increased pressure on the walls of your veins. This can lead to unsightly varicose veins, and even more serious conditions like ulcers.
For those with more advanced venous insufficiency, there are a variety of trusted procedures for fixing problem veins.
Vein ablation: One of the more common procedures for varicose veins, vein ablation uses radio frequency to remove problematic veins, allowing the pooled blood to travel to healthy veins. It is a relatively quick procedure, and leaves no scarring.
VenaSeal: This revolutionary procedure uses an advanced medical adhesive to close portions of a diseased vein. Using a catheter, Dr. Abella locates the diseased vein, and closes it. The blood then reroutes to healthy veins.
Sclerotherapy: Another trusted procedure for dealing with varicose and spider veins, sclerotherapy uses a special solution which causes diseased veins to collapse and fade.
How Do I Know If I Should Consider One Of These Procedures?
Vein ablation, Venaseal and other procedures are good for people who experience leg pain, swelling, skin changes, or ulcers as a cause of their vein issues. If vein problems runs in your family, or you have experienced some of these symptoms, come and see Dr. Abella.