Service details
Procedure details and treatment flow
Clinical examination of a vascular surgeon
If you have leg pain, itching, swelling, cramps or visible varicose veins, with or without open wounds on your legs, you need to act in time and do a thorough examination.
- A detailed examination by a vascular surgeon
- Ultrasound and color Doppler examination of leg veins and arteries
Based on these examinations, it is precisely determined whether you have diseased blood vessels in your legs. If there is a need for therapeutic treatment, the doctor will recommend the most appropriate procedure.
Vascular treatment options:
1. Medicines and wearing special compression stockings
2. Classic surgical treatment of varicose veins (stripping)
3. Foam treatment (sclerosation)
4. Endovascular laser treatment
Causes of varicose veins
The most common disease of the blood vessels of the extremities is varicose veins. They are easily seen as distinct, dark and knotty whorls along the legs.
Numerous factors affect the development of this disease, and the most common causes are:
- Genetic factor (almost like a familiar trait)
- Pregnancy (the condition of the existing ones worsens and new varicose veins appear)
- Prolonged standing or sitting
- Obesity
- Frequent wearing of tight clothing or shoes with high heels
- Dropped (flat) feet
- Long-term use of contraceptive pills
How the problem arises: In a normal situation, the flow of venous blood is always directed towards the heart. The normal function of the venous valves is one of the main factors that enable proper blood flow in the veins of the lower extremities.
When the venous valves are damaged, the blood flow in the veins begins to go in the opposite direction (toward the lower parts of the legs), where it accumulates and dilates the veins. The consequences of this disorder are varied and can be very severe, including ulcerations (sores) on the legs that do not heal, as well as thrombosis with emboli.
Stages of development of venous disease
The process of damage to varicose veins cannot be stopped by itself and is medically divided into 6 stages:
- C0 - Pain, itching and cramps in the legs, but the veins are still not visibly dilated.
- C1 – Discreet expansion of veins that have a spider-like appearance (dilated capillaries).
- C2 – Visibly dilated and swollen veins that start to hurt, especially when the weather is hot.
- C3 – Dilated, swollen and painful veins, accompanied by occasional or constant leg swelling.
- C4 - Change in color and appearance of the skin below the knee (it becomes brown or whitish and looks like eczema).
- C5 - The appearance of wounds on the leg, usually on the inside, which still have a tendency to heal.
- C6 – Open wounds on the leg (venous ulcers) that do not heal.
The importance of early detection
It is very important to recognize and detect varicose veins in the legs in the early stages, when surgical treatment is much simpler. Timely treatment not only solves the aesthetic and functional problem, but also successfully prevents serious complications of diseases that can threaten life (such as thrombosis and embolism).