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Archive for the ‘Varicose Veins’ Category

By Paul Shields, DO
Circulatory Centers have been the area’s leading experts in vein treatment for over 30 years largely based on one reason, their attention to patient care and focus on vein treatment. As world-class providers in the diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins, our physicians have cultivated a reputation as the leaders in varicose vein care.

Women are more likely than men to suffer from abnormal leg veins. However, both men and women can be affected by varicose veins. Heredity is the number one contributing factor causing varicose and spider veins and more than 30% of American adults are affected by varicose veins. Because puberty, pregnancy, menopause, birth control pills, estrogen, and progesterone affect the disease, up to 50% of American women may be affected at some time in their life. Other predisposing factors include aging, obesity and leg trauma.

Potential complications from untreated varicose veins do exist and their severity will vary from person to person depending on the individual circumstances. Many people will experience continued symptoms of pain, fatigue and swelling of the legs. With more advanced disease, hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), lipodermosclerosis (hardened, glistening skin), venous leg ulcers, spontaneous bleeding, superficial thrombophlebitis and a potentially life-threatening condition called deep vein thrombosis can occur.

Veins are tubes that carry blood back to the heart and lungs after tissues have used the oxygen blood carries. This means blood that pools in varicose veins is depleted of oxygen and nutrients. This causes a high pressure setting and veins do not tolerate high pressure. This allows red blood cells and fluid to leak out of the varicose vein and into the tissues of the leg and results in swelling. The red blood cells that leaked into the tissues cause inflammation and hyperpigmentation. After years of increased pressure and blood cells leaking into the tissues, lipodermosclerosis will occur. This results in a thickened, hardened, glossy appearing skin, commonly occurring in the lower leg. Superficial varicose veins may also bleed spontaneously. When left untreated, the skin over the veins can become thin and eventually the vein can be exposed and easily injured by clothing, bedding or furniture. The blood loss from these spontaneous bleeding episodes can be significant.

With chronic venous insufficiency a potential significant complication is a venous leg ulcer. These ulcers are due to increased pressures from underlying varicose veins. They are painful and difficult to heal. Often, these ulcers will not heal until the underlying venous insufficiency or varicose vein is treated.

Inflammation of a vein just below the surface of the skin is called superficial thrombophlebitis. This is caused by inflammation due to abnormal blood flow through the vein and damage to the vein. Thrombophlebitis produces skin redness and a firm, tender, warm vein. Symptoms generally improve in one to two weeks although the firmness of the vein may persist.

Because varicose veins can alter the normal blood flow pattern, another potential complication of venous insufficiency is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is often first noticed as a pulling or pressure type sensation in the lower leg and can be quite painful. Associated symptoms may also include warmth, redness and swelling. Patients with the following conditions are at a greater risk for developing DVT:

• Over 60 years of age
• Recent surgery
• Prior DVT
• Prolonged inactivity
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Pregnancy and Postpartum
• Infection

Treatment of a DVT involves blood thinners and further medical testing to determine the extent of the clot. If a blood clot travels to the lungs it is called a pulmonary embolus and the outcome can be fatal.

Varicose veins are a progressively deteriorating condition. By the time a patient notices visible varicose veins or experiences symptoms of leg heaviness, nighttime cramping, swelling, achiness, tenderness or has experienced phlebitis, they need to be evaluated by a physician.

Contemporary management of varicose veins and venous insufficiency involves obtaining a comprehensive history, performing a physical examination and evaluating the legs with ultrasound. This is a non-invasive, painless test that will determine if the symptoms are related to underlying venous problems.

Once a thorough evaluation has been performed a detailed treatment plan can be developed. Often times conservative measures are employed and these may include compression (stockings) or anti-inflammatory medications and supplements. In cases where venous insufficiency is identified in the larger veins (Saphenous veins), a minimally invasive laser procedure can be offered. In cases where the varicose veins are not associated with underlying Saphenous insufficiency, sclerotherapy is often recommended. Sclerotherapy involves injecting a medication into the varicose vein to assist the body in closing the vein.

With the evaluation and treatment methods available today, spider veins, varicose veins and venous insufficiency can be treated at a level of effectiveness and safety previously unattainable and frankly unimaginable. Success depends on careful assessment of the problem by a knowledgeable phlebologist (a physician specializing in varicose vein treatment). There are many underlying causes of varicose veins, so successful treatment of a particular vein problem requires a treatment plan developed by a physician who is familiar with the many causes and all potential treatment options.

At Circulatory Centers we focus on customer service and satisfaction. It is our goal to make sure our patients understand the process from the initial consultation, all the way through the treatment process. 95% of all procedures are covered by insurance; each patient is assigned a Patient Account Representative who will help them navigate the often confusing sea of insurance regulations and billing. Our highly trained and friendly staff will provide quality diagnostic testing and treatment parallel to no other in the industry. Our physicians are all board certified and experienced in evaluation and treatment of varicose veins.

In addition to the eight Pennsylvania locations, we also offer 16 other offices in Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia and Georgia. Our Free vein consultation makes diagnosis and treatment convenient. Schedule a Free consultation at 1.800.VARICOSE or visit us at www.veinhealth.com

The Circulatory Center Difference:
• Free Initial Vein Consultation
• An ICAVL Accredited Vascular Laboratory
• State-of-the-art Venous Ultrasound Diagnosis
• Exclusively Tailored of Venus Specialist
• Your Own Patient Account Representative
• Quick, Virtually Painless Treatments
• 95% of all patients are covered by insurance

1.800.VARICOSE .www.veinhealth.com . info@circcenters.com

The Circulatory Centers are the nations largest independently owned and operated varicose and spider vein treatment center for over thirty years for a reason. Staying current on the most state-of-the-art treatments for varicose veins as well as dedicating their efforts towards creating a patient-friendly treatment process is the most cridical to our success. From the moment a patient calls to schedule a Free Vein Consultation, they are treated with the respect and care a patient deserves. We take the time to assign a Patient Account Representative (PAR) to each patient. This is the Circulatory Centers’ staff member who acts like a mentor through their treatment process. The PAR answers all questions with regards to treatment, insurance coverage, post-op care, etc. This way our patients have one point of contact to serve them more effectively.

In our efforts to take into consideration our patients needs, we really took a good look at our website and wanted to make it a customer information portal. Somewhere that a person doing research on EVLA, Sclerotherapy, varicose veins or spider veins can go and feel comfortable that they are obtaining the information they need to make a smart choice on vein care. We have also made sure to cover other topics like Phlebitis and Lymphedema that we may not necessarily treat, but has a direct correlation to vascular disease.

We are excited to also be launching new informational sections like our Patient Educational Video Library. This will house various educational videos on topics like:
What Are Varicose Veins?
What Are Spider Veins?
What is EVLA?
What is Sclerotherapy?
A general overview of The Circulatory Centers

These custom videos will explain the topics in-depth. Providing an easy to understand visual walk through of the topics with illustrations and dialog from several of our top physicians.

We are also pleased to be developing a new line of custom branded compression stockings which should be available to purchase on our website in 2011 and also providing our patients the ability to make payments to their account online via our website as well.

Our goal at The Circulatory Centers is always to provide the most current information in vascular medicine. Our dedicated staff has been at the forefront of advances in sclerotherapy by attending yearly conferences of the American College of Phlebology and the American Venous Forum (the two leading medical organizations for the treatment of Venous Disease). By staying on the cutting edge of advances in sclerotherapy and EVLA, we are able to evolve our treatments techniques to provide virtually painless treatment with minimal risk or side effects.