Description Pooling of venous b...
Description
Pooling of venous blood in the legs that causes swelling, varicose veins and ulcers. When the calf muscles contract they squeeze blood through the leg veins back toward the heart. Normally these leg veins contain valves that allow the blood to travel upward but prevent backward flow. In chronic venous stasis (CVI) the veins do not work properly, allowing the blood to pool in the legs. This causes the symptoms. The following conditions are associated with this disorder: blood clots (deep venous thrombosis / DVT), obesity, jobs or hobbies that require frequent and prolonged standing, being female, smoking, family history of CVI, advanced age, previous broken leg or other severe trauma, and pregnancy.
Symptoms
Leg swelling that becomes worse with standing. Leg pain, leg fullness, ulcers that do not heal (venous stasis ulcers), darkening and thickening of the skin, flaking skin, itchy skin, varicose veins.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical will be performed. A vascular ultrasound can confirm the diagnosis.
Tests:
doppler ultrasound
Specialists:
General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Vascular Surgery, Family Practice
Workup:
A history and physical will be performed. A vascular ultrasound can confirm the diagnosis.
Tests:
doppler ultrasound
Specialists:
General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Vascular Surgery, Family Practice
Treatment
Therapy depends on the severity of the symptoms, and the goals of treatment are to reduce the swelling and to prevent ulcer formation. Medical treatments include weight loss, exercise, elevation of the legs, compression stockings, sclerotherapy, and endovenous thermal ablation. Patients with ulcers may receive a special bandage consisting of zinc oxide gauze called an Unna Boot. Surgical treatment is used for severe cases and may consist of vein stripping, vein ligation, and vein bypass.