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5, 10, 2022

Complications of Untreated Varicose Veins: Bleeding or Hemorrhage Caused by Vein Rupture

2022-09-19T15:41:12-07:00

Untreated varicose veins are at a higher than usual risk of bleeding or spontaneous rupture.   Over time, varicose veins become larger, and the vein wall becomes weak and stretched out. These veins, which are already weak, are also under high pressure (because of venous reflux, or the ‘backflow’ and pooling of blood in these veins). As a result, the high pressure can cause the veins to spontaneously burst and bleed heavily. Because they are under high pressure, they bleed like an arterial bleed and patients describe the bleeding as ‘blood shooting across the room.’  

 

The varicose veins that are susceptible are veins closest to the surface of the skin.

Most patients describe that it occurs during or after a warm shower (warm water causes veins to relax and dilate, allowing more blood to pool within the veins) or during sleep. It is painless and patients report that they notice it because they feel something wet in bed.  Patients who are on blood thinners can lose large amounts of blood, especially if it occurs while they are sleeping. Some people have required blood transfusions. The small blue spider veins around the ankle are equally at risk of rupture as are the larger bulging veins.

 

This is a patient who experienced spontaneous hemorrhage of their varicose veins. Notice the appearance of the blue, bulging veins that we describe as, ‘blue blebs.’ These veins are dilated, weak, and are close to the surface of the skin. The pooling blood within these veins causes high pressure, ultimately resulting in a spontaneous rupture or hemorrhage. The bleeding is rapid since varicose veins are under high pressure.  This is a common condition that we see at La Jolla Vein Care.

 

If someone you know has experienced bleeding from their varicose veins, they should be seen by a doctor. Treatment will prevent the veins from bursting again. This is a common condition that we see at La Jolla Vein & Vascular.

 

“Bringing Experts Together for Unparalleled Vein and Vascular Care”

 

La Jolla Vein & Vascular (formerly La Jolla Vein Care) is committed to bringing experts together for unparalleled vein and vascular care. 

 

Nisha Bunke, MD, Sarah Lucas, MD, and Elliot DeYoung, MD are specialists who combine their experience and expertise to offer world-class vascular care. 

 

Our accredited center is also a nationally known teaching site and center of excellence. 

 

For more information on treatments and to book a consultation, please give our office a call at 858-550-0330. 

 

For a deeper dive into vein and vascular care, please check out our Youtube Channel at this link.

 

For more information on varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, check this link out full of resources. 

 

Complications of Untreated Varicose Veins: Bleeding or Hemorrhage Caused by Vein Rupture2022-09-19T15:41:12-07:00

3 Vein Treatments

2022-09-19T15:20:52-07:00

Varicose Vein Treatments

Varicose veins, which are the bulging, twisted veins just beneath the surface of the skin, can be effectively treated after the underlying vein reflux is corrected. There are two main options for removing the varicose veins; either a foamed medication can be injected into the veins causing them to scar and eventually dissolve (foam sclerotherapy), or they can be removed using tiny incisions (phlebectomy).  Sometimes, a combination of both treatment types may be recommended as well as other options listed below. 

 

Venous Reflux Disease Treatments for underlying vein reflux:

 

The ClariVein® procedure

for treatment of backwards flow (or “reflux”) in your saphenous vein(s). The great and small saphenous veins are the two main superficial veins of the leg. They run along the inner leg and the back of the leg, respectively.

This minimally invasive procedure can be performed in the office in less than an hour and patients return to their usual level of activity the same day.

How does the treatment work?

The skin is numbed with lidocaine, then the ClariVein® catheter is placed into the unhealthy vein. The catheter closes the vein painlessly by delivering two treatments:

  1. Mechanical treatment with a tiny rotating wire.
  2. Chemical treatment with polidocanol. Polidocanol is a detergent-type sclerosant medication that is commonly used in varicose vein treatment.

This technique is highly effective in closing the vein and only requires one skin puncture, similar to placing an IV.

 

In the video linked here, Dr. Bunke discusses the ClariVein® procedure.  The other video shows how the treatment is done. We offer many other videos on our YouTube channel.   After care instructions can be found on our website under the patient resources tab.

 

ClosureFast an endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedure

The procedure is for the backward flow of blood (or “Venous reflux”) in your saphenous vein(s). The great saphenous veins and small saphenous veins are the two main superficial veins of the leg. They run along the inner leg and the back of the leg, respectively. This minimally invasive procedure can be performed in the office in less than an hour and patients usually return to their usual level of activity the same day.

 

How does the treatment work?

The skin is numbed with lidocaine, then a tiny wire and the Closurefast® catheter are inserted into the vein. The catheter delivers radio-frequency energy to the vein wall, causing it to seal shut. The remaining healthy veins continue to bring blood back to the heart.

 

WHAT IS VARITHENA®?

 

Varithena® is a “microfoam” formulation of polidocanol (sclerosing agent) and CO2. The result is a microfoam that has an appearance and consistency similar to white, foamy shave cream. Ultrasound guidance is used to inject Varithena® microfoam into the vein. The microfoam fills the lumen for circumferential contact where it’s designed to displace blood and destroy the endothelial lining efficiently.

 

“Bringing Experts Together for Unparalleled Vein and Vascular Care”

 

La Jolla Vein & Vascular (formerly La Jolla Vein Care) is committed to bringing experts together for unparalleled vein and vascular care. 

 

Nisha Bunke, MD, Sarah Lucas, MD, and Elliot DeYoung, MD are specialists who combine their experience and expertise to offer world-class vascular care. 

 

Our accredited center is also a nationally known teaching site and center of excellence. 

 

For more information on treatments and to book a consultation, please give our office a call at 858-550-0330. 

 

For a deeper dive into vein and vascular care, please check out our Youtube Channel at this link.

 

For more information on varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, check this link out full of resources. 


3 Vein Treatments2022-09-19T15:20:52-07:00

2, 9, 2022

Flying after vein treatment

2022-08-18T16:01:37-07:00

Patients traveling and flying from different states or countries to seek treatment at La Jolla Vein & Vascular can return to the air within 24-hours after the procedure (although it’s understandable if the stay is extended to take in the beautiful sights of San Diego). Although a patient can easily resume most day-to-day activities right after treatment, it’s recommended to avoid air travel for the first 24-hours. Once in the air, however, it’s important to wear the prescribed compression stockings and work on increasing the circulation in your legs. To do this, please make sure to pump the calf muscles regularly and get up from your chair every two hours. It’s the best way to facilitate healing in the air—and it’s a sure fire way to avoid economy class syndrome.

There are risks of flying after vein treatment that you need to know about. 

Factors that influence the risks after vein treatment include: 

  • The length of the flight
  • How soon after treatment
  • The type of vein procedure

For flying longer than 4 hours:

If patients have been treated with endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) or ultrasound guided sclerotherapy (UGS), there is an increased risk in development of in-flight deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a leg blood clot). 

If patients have had varicose veins treated, the risk of deep vein thrombosis increases when flying on long-haul flights. 

Although waiting to fly long distances for 3-4 weeks is ideal, sometimes there is no choice. If it cannot be avoided, here are some preventative measures to follow.

1.Wear compression stockings or compression socks: wearing compression helps support consistent blood flow, prevents blood settling in the lower legs because of gravity, and improves lymphatic drainage preventing swelling.

2.Keep moving: Movement is key. It helps contract the calf muscle which helps to move blood around the legs.

3.Hydrate well: Drink water and avoid alcohol (which causes dehydration).

4.Blood thinners: Patients at a particularly high risk of DVT may be prescribed and be taking blood thinners.

5.Most importantly, if you have any questions or concerns to discuss about flying during this time, please contact our office, so you can both be well informed and prepared.

“Bringing Experts Together for Unparalleled Vein and Vascular Care”

La Jolla Vein & Vascular (formerly La Jolla Vein Care) is committed to bringing experts together for unparalleled vein and vascular care. 

Nisha Bunke, MD, Sarah Lucas, MD, and Elliot DeYoung, MD are specialists who combine their experience and expertise to offer world-class vascular care. 

Our accredited center is also a nationally known teaching site and center of excellence. 

For more information and to book a consultation, please give our office a call at 858-550-0330. 

For more information please check out our Youtube Channel at this link.

For more information on varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, check this link out full of resources. 

Flying after vein treatment2022-08-18T16:01:37-07:00

30, 8, 2022

Varicose veins or muscle hernia?

2022-07-20T16:14:11-07:00

A muscle hernia of the legs is frequently confused with varicose veins. Patients may present with bulging along the outer part of the shin, that looks like a varicose vein. It may or may not be painful. It goes away with flexing the foot (pointing your toes to your head).  But, to experienced vein care specialists, it is clearly a muscle herniation.

Varicose veins are the twisted, bulging veins just beneath the surface of the skin. Unlike a muscle hernia. Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body. Varicose veins are a common condition.

Varicose veins are caused by leaky vein valves, which allow blood to pool within the veins causing them to stretch and become enlarged. Varicose veins can be an isolated finding, but the majority of the time, they are caused by underlying venous reflux disease. Venous reflux disease is also known as venous stasis, venous insufficiency or venous incompetence. Reflux may occur in the deep and/or superficial leg veins.

In our study, led by Dr. Nisha Bunke and published in the Journal of Vascular Ultrasound in 2018, we studied over 1,000 legs with varicose veins. Over 90% of the time, the source of the varicose veins were the great and small saphenous veins. The Great Saphenous Vein (GSV) courses up the middle of the thigh and calf and the small saphenous vein (SSV), which courses along the back of the calf. Normally, there are one-way valves within the leg veins, which help blood flow in one direction: toward the heart. This means blood is traveling against gravity. The calf muscle also helps move blood toward the heart. When vein valves are leaky, blood flows backward (reflux) towards the feet. Blood pools in the lower legs, causing bulging veins at the surface.

A Muscle hernia is a focal protrusion of muscle tissue through a defect in the deep fascial layer. Anterior tibial muscle is the most commonly affected muscle of the lower extremities because its fascia is the most vulnerable to trauma. Clinically it is characterized by asymptomatic or painful, skin-coloured, soft, subcutaneous nodules of various size depending on the position. The diagnosis is usually made clinically based on its typical manifestations, but ultrasonographic examination is useful for detecting the fascial defect and excluding other conditions caused by soft tissue tumors such as lipomas, angiolipomas, fibromas, schwannomas, or varicosities.

Usually, surgical treatment is not needed for a muscle hernia, but may be necessary for increasingly painful hernias.

At La Jolla Vein and Vascular, we frequently see muscle herniations that are confused with varicose veins. Using ultrasound technology and a clinical examination, we can make an accurate diagnosis.

 

 For more information and to book a consultation, please give our office a call at 858-550-0330. 

 

For more information please check out our Youtube Channel at this link.

 

For more information on varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, check this link out full of resources. 

 

Varicose veins or muscle hernia?2022-07-20T16:14:11-07:00

Symptoms of vein disease to look out for

2022-07-20T14:09:35-07:00

An estimated 80 million Americans suffer from a vein-related condition with symptoms. Since most veins lie deep under the skin’s surface, vein disorders are not always visible to the naked eye. As a result, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms that might reveal an underlying vein condition. If you’re experiencing pain, fatigue, heaviness, cramping, or restlessness in your legs, you should seek expert consultation. Today, a venous duplex scan is used to view internal images of your veins, even the veins beneath the muscles (deep veins). The ultrasound exam, which is painless with no additional symptoms takes fewer than 30 minutes, allows a trained specialist to examine your venous system to determine if your symptoms are connected to a vein-related condition. The good news is that many vein conditions can be easily treated. At La Jolla Vein & Vascular, we treat venous reflux disease with a tailored approach to the patient’s needs and symptoms. 

 

Venous reflux disease is also known as venous stasis, venous insufficiency or venous incompetence. Venous reflux disease refers to ‘leaky valves’ in the veins of the legs. Reflux may occur in the deep and/or superficial leg veins. The deep veins are those within the muscle; they bring at least 80-90% of the blood from the legs back to the heart. The superficial veins are outside of the muscle and under the skin.

The main superficial veins are the Great Saphenous Vein that courses up the middle of the thigh and calf and the small saphenous vein, which courses up the back of the calf. Normally, there are one-way valves within the leg veins, which help blood flow in one direction: toward the heart. This means blood is traveling against gravity.

The calf muscle also helps move blood toward the heart. When vein valves are leaky, blood flows backward (reflux) towards the feet. Blood pools in the lower legs, causing bulging veins at the surface. Symptoms include leg heaviness, leg fatigue, leg pain, ankle swelling, phlebitis (inflamed and painful veins) , restless legs at night, and night cramps.

Venous reflux disease is progressive and worsens over time. Skin changes may also develop, including darkening of the skin around the ankles. The darkening of the skin is sometimes referred to as venous stasis skin changes. The skin can become dry and itchy (venous eczema). Eventually, the skin can break down causing a wound, called a venous leg ulcer.

If you experience any vein disease symptoms, please call our office at (858)-434-5998 to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable doctors at La Jolla Vein and Vascular. 

 

For more information on vein health please check out our Youtube Channel or visit our helpful guide of resources. 

 

Symptoms of vein disease to look out for2022-07-20T14:09:35-07:00

Varicose Veins vs Spider Veins

2022-12-13T14:17:35-08:00

What is the difference between varicose veins and spider veins? 

At La Jolla Vein and Vascular, we treat numerous patients with varicose veins and spider veins. Knowing the difference is important. 

Varicose veins are the twisted, bulging veins just beneath the surface of the skin. Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body. Varicose veins are a common condition.

What causes varicose veins?

Varicose veins are caused by leaky vein valves, which allow blood to pool within the veins causing them to stretch and become enlarged. Varicose veins can be an isolated finding, but the majority of the time, they are caused by underlying venous reflux disease. Venous reflux disease is also known as venous stasis, venous insufficiency or venous incompetence. Reflux may occur in the deep and/or superficial leg veins.

In our study, led by Dr. Nisha Bunke and published in the Journal of Vascular Ultrasound in 2018, we studied over 1,000 legs with varicose veins. Over 90% of the time, the source of the varicose veins were the great and small saphenous veins. The Great Saphenous Vein (GSV) courses up the middle of the thigh and calf and the small saphenous vein (SSV), which courses along the back of the calf. Normally, there are one-way valves within the leg veins, which help blood flow in one direction: toward the heart. This means blood is traveling against gravity. The calf muscle also helps move blood toward the heart. When vein valves are leaky, blood flows backward (reflux) towards the feet. Blood pools in the lower legs, causing bulging veins at the surface.

Varicose (VAR-i-kos) veins are enlarged veins that can be blue, red, or flesh-colored. They often look like cords and appear twisted and bulging. They can be swollen and raised above the surface of the skin. Varicose veins are often found on the thighs, backs of the calves, or the inside of the leg. During pregnancy, varicose veins can form around the vagina and buttocks.

What are spider veins?

Spider veins are the fine, thread-like reddish veins at the surface of the skin. Spider veins are not healthy. Spider veins are often considered a cosmetic issue, but they can be associated with underlying feeder veins, not visible to the naked eye.  Feeder veins are the ‘blue veins’ also known as ‘reticular veins,’ that give rise to spider veins. Spider veins may also be a sign of underlying venous insufficiency. For example, spider veins located in the inner ankles and inner thighs can indicate an underlying problem with the saphenous vein. As a result, an ultrasound examination may be recommended to identify and effectively treat the underlying source of the spider veins.

What are the symptoms?

Vein conditions affect people differently. For some, spider veins can be a painless cosmetic concern, and for others they may cause symptoms. The most common symptoms of spider veins are burning, throbbing, and localized pain. They can also feel hot and itchy and bleed.

What causes spider veins?

Spider veins in the legs are caused by the same condition that causes varicose veins. Leaky vein valves allow blood to pool within the veins causing them to stretch and become enlarged. They are on other areas of the body, such as the face, and chest can be caused by sun damage, hormone changes or liver disease. Hormones, such as with pregnancy, birth control or hormone replacement therapy can weaken the vein wall.

They are like varicose veins but smaller. Often, they are red or blue. They can look like tree branches or spiderwebs with their short, jagged lines. This patient had large clusters of bluish colored spider veins around the knee. 

If you experience any vein disease symptoms, please call our office at (858)-550-0330 to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable doctors at La Jolla Vein and Vascular.

For more information on vein health please check out our Youtube Channel or visit our helpful guide of resources.

 

Varicose Veins vs Spider Veins2022-12-13T14:17:35-08:00

Tips to reduce discomfort from varicose veins

2022-07-19T18:14:43-07:00

How To Reduce Discomfort From Varicose Veins:

Varicose and spider veins may be treated with lifestyle changes or medical procedures.

The goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms, prevent complications, and for some to improve appearance.  Lifestyle changes can ease the symptoms but do not cause the veins to vanish.  These include:

  • Avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time:  To keep blood moving when you have to sit or stand for long periods, try these tips: at work, take walking breaks and try walking during your lunch hour. While sitting, try flexing your feet up and down 10 times an hour. When standing, raise yourself up and down on your toes or rock back and forth on your heels.
  • Exercise: Exercising is good for your veins because it improves blood flow. Walking, cycling or swimming are great exercises for vein health. But be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
  • Weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight: Being overweight puts extra pressure on your veins.
  • Leg elevation: Use leg elevation three or four times a day for about 15 minutes at a time. Even elevating your legs on a step stool or ottoman is beneficial. If you need to sit or stand for a long period of time, flexing (bending) your legs occasionally can help keep blood circulating. If you have mild to moderate varicose veins, elevating your legs can help reduce leg swelling and relieve other symptoms.
  • Compression stockings: These elastic stockings squeeze or compress the veins and prevent blood from flowing backward. Compression stockings must be graduated, medical-grade compression to be beneficial. Over-the-counter support hose or TED hose are not adequate to reduce symptoms in venous disease for active patients.
  • Supplements such as horse chestnut and grape seed extract can help reduce symptoms of venous disease
  • Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen
  • ice packs can be applied to veins that are tender to reduce inflammation

 For more information and to book a consultation, please give our office a call at 858-550-0330. 

 

For more information please check out our Youtube Channel at this link.

 

For more information on varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, check this link out full of resources. 

 

Tips to reduce discomfort from varicose veins2022-07-19T18:14:43-07:00

Cellulitis & Varicose Veins

2022-07-19T17:21:50-07:00

Complications of Untreated Varicose Veins and Venous Insufficiency: Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin and tissues beneath the skin. Cellulitis infections can occur in the legs of people with untreated varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency.  The reason for this is chronic venous insufficiency-which causes inflammation within the skin and underlying tissues. This inflammatory process causes the skin to become firm, eczema-like, dry, itchy, and fragile. Healthy skin acts as a barrier to bacteria, preventing infections. But, in chronic venous insufficiency, the skin is fragile and this barrier is susceptible to bacterial infections that can enter the tissues through cracks or breakages within the skin.  In chronic venous insufficiency, the skin around the ankles is most affected and infections can begin here.

Cellulitis usually begins as a small area of pain and redness on the skin. This area spreads to surrounding tissues, resulting in the typical signs of inflammation such as redness, swelling, warmth, and pain. Fever and chills may develop and the redness will spread affecting more of the leg. It is treated with antibiotics. If you believe you have signs of cellulitis, you need to contact your doctor right away as untreated cellulitis can spread rapidly.

This complication can be avoided by treating the varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, which will, in turn, reduce inflammation and improve the skin condition. 

For more information on varicose veins and eliminating underlying venous insufficiency, check this link out full of resources. 

Practicing good skin hygiene is important. Keep your skin moisturized so that it doesn’t flake or crack easily. If the skin is not broken or leaking fluid but is inflamed, your doctor may recommend an anti-itch cream, such as one containing hydrocortisone; a cream containing zinc oxide to protect the skin; or an antifungal cream to prevent fungal infections.

Skin that is leaking fluid is treated with wet compresses. If you have ulcers on your legs, we at La Jolla Vein & Vascular will show you how to apply layered compression bandages to protect the skin and maintain blood flow.

 For more information and to book a consultation, please give our office a call at 858-550-0330. 

For more information please check out our Youtube Channel at this link.

Cellulitis & Varicose Veins2022-07-19T17:21:50-07:00

20, 7, 2022

Before & After Varicose Vein Treatment

2022-12-13T13:08:14-08:00

Varicose Veins: Patient Transformations 

What are varicose veins?

They are the twisted, bulging veins just beneath the surface of the skin. These veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body. Varicose veins are a common condition.

What causes them?

Varicose veins are caused by leaky vein valves, which allow blood to pool within the veins causing them to stretch and become enlarged. These veins can be an isolated finding, but the majority of the time, they are caused by underlying venous reflux disease. Venous reflux disease is also known as venous stasis, venous insufficiency or venous incompetence. Reflux may occur in the deep and/or superficial leg veins.

In our study, led by Dr. Nisha Bunke and published in the Journal of Vascular Ultrasound in 2018, we studied over 1,000 legs with varicose veins. Over 90% of the time, the source of the varicose veins were the great and small saphenous veins. The Great Saphenous Vein (GSV) courses up the middle of the thigh and calf and the small saphenous vein (SSV), which courses along the back of the calf. Normally, there are one-way valves within the leg veins, which help blood flow in one direction: toward the heart. This means blood is traveling against gravity. The calf muscle also helps move blood toward the heart. When vein valves are leaky, blood flows backward (reflux) towards the feet. Blood pools in the lower legs, causing bulging veins at the surface. 

As you can see below, these patient transformations after varicose vein treatment are remarkable!

varicose veinvaricose veinvaricose vein

 

 

La Jolla Vein Care Before and After Transformations:

 

At La Jolla Vein Care, we are here for our patients from beginning to the end. We love seeing the transformations that take place. Below are a few cases from our patient transformations from before varicose vein treatment to after varicose vein treatment. 

 

If you experience any vein disease symptoms, please call our office at (858)-550-0330 to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable doctors at La Jolla Vein and Vascular. 

 

For more information on vein health please check out our Youtube Channel or visit our helpful guide of resources. 

 

Before & After Varicose Vein Treatment2022-12-13T13:08:14-08:00

Vein Health: Helpful Anatomy Phrases to Better Understand

2022-12-13T14:15:11-08:00

If you’re not a vascular specialist, it may be difficult to understand the words used to describe your vein condition and understand vein health. Vein terms are not used in everyday life.  Especially, when it comes to the anatomy of the veins. Below is a glossary of the terms, we as vein specialists, use on a daily basis but may be foreign to the patient.  This is provided from the American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS) healthyveins.org.

Anatomical Vein Terms for Vein Health:

Anterior: The front of a body part.

Posterior: Back of a body part.

​Deep Leg Vein: The veins that are deep in the thigh and leg that carry blood back to the heart.

​Connective Tissue: This strong tissue is the white tissue that covers muscle.

Great Saphenous Vein: (sometimes called GSV or long saphenous vein) A long vein that can be seen just in front of the ankle bone. This vein travels along the inside of the leg and thigh (about one-half inch beneath the skin in the thigh) until it empties into the deep vein called the common femoral vein in the groin.

Perforating Vein: A vein that passes directly from a superficial vein to a deep vein.

Popliteal Vein: The deep vein located behind the knee. The small saphenous vein originates from the popliteal vein.

Small Saphenous Vein: (sometimes called SSV, Lesser Saphenous Vein, or LSV) A superficial vein that starts at the outside of the foot and travels up the back of the calf where it empties into the deep vein (popliteal vein) in the crease of the knee.

​Spider Vein: A tiny varicose vein that may be blue or red color that does not protrude above the skin surface and frequently looks like a spider. Common medical terms you may hear for spider veins are telangiectasias and telangiectatic veins. Slightly larger varicose veins that do not protrude above the skin are called reticular veins.

​Superficial Vein: Any vein in the lower extremity above the deep fascia that covers the muscles of the thigh and leg.

​Varicose Vein: A bulging vein that protrudes past the skin surface and usually measures greater than one-fourth of an inch (6.4 mm) in diameter.

Vein Function Terms

Competent Vein: Blood flow occurs in the proper direction back to the heart. Also referred to as Having No Reflux Or Normal Flow Direction.

Incompetent Vein: Blood flows in the wrong direction. Also referred to as a vein that has reflux.

Reflux: Blood that flows backward in the veins.

 

Anatomical Images and Explanations

Normal Blood Flow: After the blood has been replenished with oxygen in the lungs, it is pumped to the body by the heart. Blood that is pumped to the lower extremities is pumped back to the heart partially by the action of the calf muscle pump. The blood returning from the lower extremities in the deep and superficial veins goes past a series of one-way valves. These valves stop the blood from flowing backwards in the vein.

​

Reflux: The valves in the veins close just as blood begins to flow backwards. If the valves do not close properly, the blood falls backwards through the poorly closing or leaking valves. The veins downstream that are now unprotected by valves further upstream are exposed to the weight of an increasingly high column of blood. These downstream veins cannot endure the pressure of the column of blood and expand becoming snake-like in appearance. This causes the vein to bulge through the skin surface and become varicose veins.

If you experience any vein disease symptoms, please call our office at (858)-550-0330 to schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable doctors at La Jolla Vein and Vascular.

For more information on vein health please check out our Youtube Channel or visit our helpful guide of resources. 

Vein Health: Helpful Anatomy Phrases to Better Understand2022-12-13T14:15:11-08:00
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CONTACT INFORMATION

La Jolla/UTC

Vista

Patient Privacy Practices

Privacy Policy

Hippa Privacy Practices
HIPAAOneTM Certified Seal 2

Use the search features below to find articles and insights for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease

TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO

La Jolla/ UTC

North County San Diego/ Vista — Endovascular Center
Now Open! Call/Text for Appointments

© Copyright 2010-2024, La Jolla Vein & Vascular | All Rights Reserved

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