Conditions & Treatments

Varicose Veins & Venous Disease

Veins carry blood back toward the heart, using one-way valves to fight gravity. When those valves fail — called venous reflux — blood pools in the legs. That's what causes varicose veins, and it's why legs can feel heavy, achy, and swollen at the end of the day. Left alone for years, the pooling can darken and harden the skin at the ankle and eventually break it down into an ulcer that won't heal. Venous disease is progressive, but it's also very treatable — almost always in the office, without a hospital stay.

Common signs

  • Bulging, twisted veins on the legs
  • Legs that feel heavy, tired, or achy, especially by evening
  • Swelling around the ankles
  • Itching, burning, or night cramps
  • Skin darkening at the ankle, or a sore near the ankle that won't heal

How I treat it

  • Ultrasound evaluation — mapping exactly which veins are refluxing, done in our office lab
  • Vein ablation — sealing the faulty vein from the inside through a tiny puncture; I use several techniques (thermal and non-thermal) and match the method to your anatomy. For patients who don't want to wear daily compression, this quick office procedure can provide long-term relief from leg swelling, heaviness, and achiness
  • Phlebectomy — removing bulging surface veins through micro-incisions
  • Venogram & iliac vein stenting — when the deeper pelvic veins are compressed (iliac vein compression), opening them with a stent restores drainage from the leg
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