Alabama Vascular & Vein Center

Vein Problems

Phlebitis

Phlebitis is a blood clot in one of the veins of the leg, usually a superficial vein. The result is a painful, warm, red knot, representing the body’s response to the clot.

Leg swelling

Leg swelling of the lower leg and ankle is common when the superficial leg veins are incompetent

Leg pain

Leg pain, especially a heavy discomfort, occurs in many patients with abnormal leg veins due to excessive pressure as the veins become engorged.

Bleeding

Bleeding may suddenly erupt from one of the superficial veins on the lower leg, ankle, or foot when the skin erodes from over a pressurized vein.

These signs and symptoms of leg vein problems are usually caused by an underlying major leg vein abnormality. The saphenous veins return blood from the skin to the heart. Each saphenous vein contains in-lying one way bi-cuspid valves which direct blood flow toward the heart, and prevent the blood column from falling back down the leg. When the valves do not close properly, blood is allowed to flow retrograde down the leg to the ankle or to the next healthy valve. This causes an increase in pressure inside the veins including the skin veins. The result is the appearance of varicose veins, spider veins, and many of the other abnormalities noted above. Without proper treatment, chronic high vein pressures can cause permanent damage such as scarring and ulceration.

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Venous stasis ulcer

The treatment of vein problems at Alabama Vascular & Vein Center is individualized for each patient.

The underlying cause is treated first in order to lessen the risk for recurrence of these veins. Often the appearance and symptoms improve after the cause is corrected, and subsequent treatments are to eliminate the unsightly and often painful veins. The modern methods of endovenous ablation, micro-phlebectomy, and foamed sclerotherapy are some of the most significant advances in medicine and surgery in the past 30 years. These treatments often require no surgical incisions, are relatively painless, and give better results than any previous treatment method including the stripping operations.