The Vein Centre

Definitions

A varicose vein is a swollen, twisted vein, usually near the skin surface in the leg. They can be unsightly and cause tired, heavy or painful limbs. In severe cases, the veins can rupture, or opensores (varicose ulcers) can form on the skin. Women are most frequently affected, and other factors include a family history of varicose veins and advancing age. Sometimes, absence or weakness of valves in veins, which prevent the backward flow of blood away from the heart, may be a cause. In other cases, weaknesses in the vein walls cause blood to pool. Less commonly, varicose veins are due to diseases such as phlebitis (inflammation of the veins). Treatment is not always necessary for varicose veins, although severe cases, especially those involving ulcers, require treatment. Often, the varicose veins are removed to let blood flow through the remaining healthy veins. This can be done by surgery (vein stripping) or by a non-invasive procedure called sclerotherapy. In this procedure, saline (salt water) or a chemical solution is injected into the varicose vein. The vein will harden and then disappear.moreVascular surgery treats diseases and disorders of the vascular system (the arteries and veins) with a variety of therapies, minimally invasive catheter procedures, and surgical reconstruction.Procedures to treat arteries and veins include angiography (performed to view blood vessels in many areas of the body), stenting (inserting a small tube to keep a blood vessel open), repair of an aneurysm (an abnormal widening or ballooning of part of a vein or artery due to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel); and treatment of obstructions in arteries, as well as other conditions.more