Varicose vein issues in your legs—when is it a real medical problem?

Over 40 million people per year report chronic vein issues in their legs—yet only 2% of those suffering seek treatment. iSpine Clinics would like to share more information with you on the various types of chronic vein disease, as well as options for treatment, so you don’t have to continue to suffer.

Types of vein issues that can affect your legs—and your quality of life

Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) occurs when the veins in your legs don’t allow blood to flow back up to your heart. Normally, the valves in your veins push blood back to your heart—but when these valves don’t work well, blood can flow backwards, and even pool in your legs. While CVI isn’t life threatening or considered a serious health condition, it can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, including varicose veins, swelling, leg ulcers, cramps, and more.

Thrombophlebitis

Thrombophlebitis is the inflammation of a vein in your leg. There are two levels of severity: superficial and deep-vein. Superficial thrombophlebitis is swelling in a small, near-surface level vein and usually results in only a reddish, slightly tender vein. Deep-vein is more serious—it affects the larger veins deep below the surface and can have life-threatening or long-term effects, such as a pulmonary embolism or permanently impaired blood flow.

What are the risk factors for vein diseases?

CVI and other venous issues can happen to anyone, but there are certain qualities and behaviors that can increase your risk. They include: 

• Age: Once you reach 50, there’s about a 6% year-over-year increase in risk for CVI.
• Family history: A family history of varicose veins or certain congenital disorders are risk factors to consider.
• Obesity: Being overweight can make the cardiovascular system overwork, which can weaken the valves in the veins of the legs.
• Smoking: The chemicals in tobacco products cause inflammation in the blood vessels.
• Pregnancy: The increased blood volume and pressure that comes with pregnancy is a risk factor for CVI.
• History of blood clots: A history of deep vein thrombosis or thrombophlebitis should be considered in your risk analysis.
• Leg injury: Anything that increases damage to your leg veins increases the risk for venous issues.
• Prolonged sitting or standing: Sitting or standing for long periods can be a risk factor, especially for thrombophlebitis.

Treatment options for vein issues in your legs

Chronic venous insufficiency has two main methods for treatment: heat and adhesion. iSpine Clinics offers both options.

ClosureFast^TM

The ClosureFast procedure uses radiofrequency energy, or heat, to close the diseased vein, which redirects blood flow to healthy veins and relieves symptoms. It involves the insertion of a thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a diseased vein under ultrasound guidance. The treated vein dries up, shrinks, and is absorbed by the body. Once the diseased vein is closed, your body reroutes blood to other healthy veins. In an international, multicenter study, the procedure had a closure rate of 91.9%, as well as a reflux-free rate of 94.9%. Patients receiving this procedure experienced a 72% improvement in their Venous Clinical Severity Scores at 5 years.

 VenaSeal^TM

The VenaSeal procedure, guided by ultrasound imaging, delivers a small amount of specially formulated medical adhesive inside a vein through a small catheter to close the diseased vein. Light external pressure is applied to the leg to adhere the vein walls together.

The treatment is nonthermal, nontumescent, and nonsclerosant. The benefits of this procedure include less pain, bruising, and faster recovery time than thermal (heated) ablation. VenaSeal delivers immediate and lasting vein closure and demonstrated a 94.6% closure rate at 5 years.

Treatment for thrombophlebitis depends on the type and severity of the case—superficial vs. deep-vein. 

• Superficial thrombophlebitis can be treated relatively non-invasively. Applying heat and pressure elevating the leg, taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, or using compression garments can make a notable difference in many cases.

• Deep-vein thrombophlebitis, as a more serious issue, can occasionally require surgical intervention to remedy. Prescription blood thinners/clot dissolvers or custom compression articles are often the first phase of treatment. Surgical measures such as a vena cava filter (a small filter placed in the vena cava, the main vein in your abdomen), or the surgical ablation or removal of veins, may be deemed necessary to prevent life-threatening side effects.

What to expect from a CVI treatment session

Early detection and treatment are key to diagnosing CVI before it leads to more advanced stages of vein disease. A simple ultrasound scan can aid in diagnosis. Your initial treatment consultation may include a blood pressure and weight check, a review of your pain history, physical examination, an ultrasound scan, and the development of a care plan. Many patients receive compression stockings to aid in managing their symptoms.

At iSpine Clinics, we perform the minimally invasive ClosureFast and VenaSeal procedures. If one of these options are included in your care plan, this is what you can expect during and following the procedure:

• ClosureFast: Most patients report feeling little, if any, pain related to the treatment. During the procedure, a doctor will numb the treatment area with a local or regional anesthetic. Patients may feel a pin prick when the numbing medicine is injected, but once the vein is numb, there is no additional discomfort. The practitioner will then insert the small catheter into the vein and apply the heat to destroy it.

Post-procedure, you will have a small bandage over the incision site. It may be recommended you wear compression stockings to help the recovery process. Your doctor will give you instructions around walking, standing and strenuous activities. Most patients resume normal activities within days and see noticeable improvement in their symptoms 1 to 2 weeks later, with minimal scarring, bruising, or swelling.

Visit our ClosureFast procedure page to watch an animation of what to expect during the procedure: https://ispineclinics.com/services/vein-care/closurefast-procedure/ 

• VenaSeal: Because VenaSeal uses glue, not heat or lasers, you won’t feel the burning or pain that usually comes with varicose vein treatment. This makes it the most pain-free option of all. The procedure uses a local anesthetic and a single needle prick to access the vein.

Following the procedure, you will have a small bandage over the incision site. It may be recommended you wear compression stockings to help the recovery process. Your doctor will give you instructions around walking, standing and strenuous activities. Most patients see improvement in their symptoms immediately following the procedure, with minimal to no scarring, bruising or swelling.

Visit our VenaSeal procedure page to watch an animation of what to expect during the procedure: https://ispineclinics.com/services/vein-care/venaseal-procedure/  

Are you interested in seeking treatment for your vein issues?

At iSpine Clinics in the Twin Cities, we are here to support our patient’s leg vein care needs, from evaluation to diagnosis and treatment recommendations to help you improve your quality of life. Take our simple symptom checker quiz to see if you might be a candidate for treatment and call to schedule a consultation to take the first step towards smooth legs with less venous pain.