Venous Insufficiency 2
Tuesday, April 1, 2008

In today’s 60 second housecall, Dr. Ken Davis discussed the diagnosis and treatment of venous insufficiency of the legs.

When the leg veins are damaged, blood has difficulty returning to the heart and pools in the lower legs and feet.  This condition is called venous insufficiency.

To diagnose venous insufficiency, your physician will do a history and physical examination.  You may have an ultrasound test to measure the speed of blood flow and to determine the structure of your leg veins.  A venogram can be done where dye is injected into the vein to determine the anatomy of the vein and valves.

The treatment of venous insufficiency will depend on your symptoms and pain.  Propping your legs up when you are sitting and losing weight may help.  For mild cases, your physician may prescribe compression stockings that help squeeze the veins and propel the flow towards the heart.

More serious problems may require sclerotherapy injection or surgery.  Fewer than ten percent of people with venous insufficiency symptoms require surgery.

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.