Clots in the blood vessels of the leg can cause uncomfortable inflammation, which you may hear described as thrombophlebitis. As the superficial vein walls become swollen just beneath the skin, you may notice redness around the affected area. You may feel warmth, tenderness and achiness. The vein can become hard and cordlike, with pain moving through the limb.

Although superficial vein thrombosis is linked to varicose veins, the condition can also be caused by other factors such as an injury or IV therapy. Serious complications from SVT are rare. However, it has been associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition where blood clots develop within veins deep inside the body. DVT carries a risk of pulmonary embolism, which is an emergency situation caused by a clot traveling to the lungs. SVT patients should not be concerned about a risk of pulmonary embolism from blood clots inside superficial veins, since these cannot reach the lungs.

Because superficial venous thrombosis can be a complication of varicose veins, you will want to have varicosities evaluated. Also see a physician immediately if you experience leg swelling or other symptoms which may be a sign of a blood clot in a vein.

At the Advanced Vein Center, we have innovative treatments to help prevent varicose vein complications. We also care for patients who are experiencing symptoms of SVT. Our vein specialists are dedicated to providing superior care for improved vein health.

If you have a history of poor blood circulation in the legs, you may be at greater risk for the development of venous skin ulcers. These are open wounds on the legs that can be slow to heal. Unfortunately, venous skin ulcers are a common diagnosis, affecting thousands of people. The condition is caused by abnormal blood flow and frequently occurs on the lower half of the leg. You may see venous ulcerations on the inside of the leg, between the calf and ankle. Anyone with varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis should be aware of the warning signs that these wounds may be forming.

When blood does not return to the heart normally from the leg veins, it can pool and leak. This affects surrounding tissue, causing skin areas to turn reddish, brown or purple. The skin around the discoloration may begin to feel thick and scaly. If the tissue damage from a venous insufficiency leads to skin loss, that’s when the small to large venous skin ulcers will form. These shallow open wounds, also called stasis leg ulcers, are susceptible to infection. As the ulcer progresses, it will weep fluid and develop a yellowish covering. You may also experience leg discomfort, swelling and sensitivity. It is important to know that effective treatments are available. If you think a skin ulcer is developing, get an evaluation from a vein specialist right away, since smaller wounds tend to heal faster.

To receive care for leg ulcerations, venous skin ulcers or another vein-related condition, contact us at the Advanced Vein Center. We are highly experienced in wound care for venous skin ulcers. We’ll also help you take steps to reduce the risk of future skin problems.

Employer FSA Accounts & Disappearing Benefits
If you have a balance in a flexible spending account (FSA) established through your employer, you might lose them if you don’t spend all of the funds in the account by the end of the year.

Take some time to also review your insurance benefits to check for any reductions or cuts that will go into effect in the new year.

You might need to take immediate action before any cuts occur or prior to escalating costs of treatment that will happen after the calendar change.

Vanishing Medical Deductible
We know the holidays are a hectic time of year but urge you to schedule a vein treatment, or a vein doctor consultation, as a gift to yourself if you have met your insurance deductible for this year.

Why? Because your costs might be minimal (or even zero) if you have met the requirements–but you only have until December 31st to get it done.

If you are uncertain about where you stand, check with your insurance agent or adjuster to identify what benefits have been used and those that are still available.

Be sure to look at your FSA account balance so you can take advantage of any remaining benefits prior to the year end as well.

Don’t delay! Hopefully you can beat the January 1st deadline by scheduling any consultations or procedures now.

AVC would be happy to help you ring in the New Year with healthy and happy legs. Just imagine the tremendous savings you can enjoy–plus you can show off those holiday legs during any festive events you attend.

The Advanced Vein Center accepts a variety of insurance including Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare and many others.

Simply give our vein doctors a call to schedule your vein treatment or to find out if our vein center accepts your insurance.

In addition to any genetic tendencies, the other contributors to this condition include prolonged standing, obesity, sun damage, age, stress, smoking, alcohol use and hormonal surges that take place during pregnancy or when using birth control.

Spider veins are more common than most people think and an amazing 75% of the US population will be affected by telangiectasia, the technical term for spider veins. This condition begins when veins near the surface of the skin begin leaking small amounts of blood. This causes the blood to disperse into the tissue where it forms discolored patterns.

The Advanced Vein Center offers a few different options for treating spider veins effectively. Once treated, these blood vessels fade away and are naturally reabsorbed by the body. A series of short sessions can help you tackle this problem safely and effectively with the help of our vein doctors.

Don’t mistakenly fall for some of the product promises made by the manufacturers of different serums or topical creams. The market for such products is growing every year, but despite claims that they reduce blood seepage and thus prevent the appearance of spider veins, such claims are not proven by any scientific research studies.

Spider veins themselves are not a serious medical condition when compared to varicose veins, but they could be indicators of a sluggish circulatory system and perhaps other underlying venous issues. This is why it is always good to get an assessment by a phlebologist (vein doctor).

Ultrasound, laser assisted therapy, and sclerotherapy are some of the vein procedures we offer from our veins center. Sclerotherapy uses injections of a sclerosant (saline based compound) that is created specifically to address the particular needs of the patient and the color, depth and thickness the spider veins being treated.

If you hate needles, or if the spider veins are very tiny, laser therapy might be a better choice. But the two can be combined for optimal treatment and faster healing.

Recently, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that the increase in the demand for such treatments from within their membership for performing such procedures rose by an amazing 55% in just ten years.

If you are seeking treatment for spider veins, take some time to contact our vein doctors at the Advanced Vein Center for an evaluation and to discuss what spider vein treatments might be the best choice for your specific situation.

Healthy leg veins allow blood to flow efficiently and keeping them in good shape can be influenced by a variety of factors such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, proper weight, good stress management and a healthy lifestyle.

In optimal conditions, the heart pumps blood in a consistent, even flow. This action is assisted by the valves that work to keep the blood moving in the right direction. These tiny valves help move the blood along while also preventing it from flowing backwards. Good veins maintain their shape, vitality and elasticity as they work to move the deoxygenated blood from the outer parts of the body back through the heart and lungs.

Compromised veins have weakened valves that prevent the proper flow of blood. These veins might be weakened or inflamed due to disease or hereditary factors. Spider veins are the inflamed capillaries that appear closer to the surface as red or blue veins. When the veins weaken, they can become abnormally thick, twisted, or enlarged varicose veins.

These venous abnormalities most commonly occur in the legs and thighs because of gravity and the strain of fighting against it. Vein changes can be influenced by factors such as obesity, pregnancy weight gain, strain, or lifestyle influences such as prolonged standing or sitting.

Over time, the veins weaken and the blood begins to pool, distending the veins. Part of this is due to aging as our aging bodies lose flexibility and elasticity. In fact, the Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) has reported that varicose veins affect 40% of women and about 20% of men by the age of 50. Symptoms of venous issues can include leg pain, such as cramping, burning, itchy, aching, throbbing or numbness.

Varicose veins are unsightly and are a cosmetic concern–but they can also indicate other complications which might need intervention. If you are concerned about your leg veins, are experiencing discomfort, pain, or want to be proactive about your vein health, the Advanced Vein Center encourages you to make an appointment with a phlebologist (vein doctor).

Our vein specialist team members are here to help you and will be able to guide you toward the best vein procedures that for your unique situation. AVC invites you to contact one of our vein doctors for a consultation.

Advanced Vein Center’s Tips for Healthy Leg Veins

Move
Movement such as brisk walking and other aerobic exercise are ideal for both building strength and increasing circulation. Swimming, riding a bike, running and other activities are also great. Set a goal of 30 minutes of sustained activity a day.

Stretch
Concentrate on taking regular breaks to stretch and move your legs and feet. Sitting or standing for long periods is not helpful but making mindful movements will allow help increase the circulation in your legs.

Elevate
Elevating the legs is beneficial for everyone. The key is to elevate them above the level of your hips if you are sitting. If you are prone, elevate them above your heart. Doing this promotes blood flow from your legs into the rest of your body. Pregnant women or those already facing circulatory problems should make it a regular practice to elevate their legs on a regular basis.

Diet
A good dietary regime includes a balanced diet and supplements that support your circulatory and skeletal systems. A healthy weight will reduce additional pressure that can negatively impact your veins and your hips, legs, ankles and feet.

Moisturize
A good leg care regime also includes moisturizing your skin and pampering your feet and ankles. Massaging while you moisturize also helps stimulate circulation.

Attention & Action
By making these efforts a regular practice you will help your leg veins However, if you are experiencing leg pain, leg swelling, numbness, tingling, cramping, or see skin discoloration, ulceration or varicose veins, we encourage you to take the time to schedule a consultation with your physician or to make an appointment for an assessment with one of the Advanced Vein Center’s vein doctors.

Although varicosities make people self conscious and embarrassed, they can be treated effectively. EVLT or Endovenous Laser Treatment is one of the minimally invasive procedures that our vein doctors use for treatment. This laser treatment uses ultrasound guidance, to help uncover the cause of this unsightly venous leg problem.

There are a variety of theories as to what cause varicose veins and why people get them. Some of the influences include:

• inherited
• vein wall abnormalities
• surgery or trauma
• age
• obesity
• prolonged standing
• increased blood volume or increased pressure
• hormone impact during pregnancy
• straining

The Advanced Vein Center’s laser treatment targets the problem vein and causes it to close so that blood flow ceases and is redirected as the vein is eventually reabsorbed by the body. This not only eliminates the unsightly appearance but it also helps relieve any symptoms without leaving any scars.

Our veins specialist team always prefers to select non-invasive treatments when possible. EVLT is a great option to patients because there isn’t any visible scarring and only minimal post procedure pain.

The AVC vein doctors have a variety of different procedures available to you. However, our team wants you to take comfort in knowing that our vein center prefers to use options that provide a quick recovery with minimal convalescence–plus fast relief of varicose vein symptoms.

In general, Endovenous Laser Treatment session is done right at the vein center with a local anesthetic for the patient’s comfort. Each outpatient session lasts about 45 minutes to an hour.

For more information about EVLT or other vein procedures for veins in legs, please contact our vein doctors to discuss the different options for treatment or to discuss what procedures may or may not be covered by insurance.

Varicose veins

Here at the Advanced Vein Center we use a variety of treatments and strategies to help treat venous issues. Among the support tools we use are compression stockings.

Compression stockings work by providing the highest pressure at the ankle. This pressure gradually decreases up the leg which helps to aid circulation by pressing the fluids out of the swollen and tender parts of the leg.

AVC uses compression stockings as part of our post vein procedures protocol. However, we thought it would be good to share some of the other uses of this type of garment. Blood flow improves with proper use of compression stocking and these garments slow the decay of the venous system with aging.

Edema: Edema is the swelling of tissues from leaking veins; it can be caused by a number of things (pregnancy, burns, poor circulation, sodium intake, heart liver, kidney failure). Edema can also be a sign of early problems with the venous system.

Traditional methods for the treatment of swelling are to elevate the legs above the heart. This helps to lower the fluid pressure. By using compression stockings, you can help the veins to get the blood back up from the lower legs through the rest of the body.

Pregnancy: Pregnancy causes a number of physiological changes and different stresses. Part of the problem many women face is that the additional weight and fluid retention can weaken veins in legs. As in edema, it limits the ability to bring blood back up to the heart which can result in swelling as well as the development of spider veins or varicose veins. Pregnancy is one of the leading causes of varicose veins. We believe women should wear compression panty hose throughout pregnancy to prevent problems.

Diabetes: Diabetes is a health condition where the body has problems processing and converting sugar. This can impact the body’s extremities, compromise eyesight, damage the heart, and impact not only the kidneys and nerves, but also the veins.

Venous Leg Ulcers: In some cases, untreated vein disease leads to venous leg ulcers. These are painful leg ulcers that can take 3-4 months to heal even with proper medical care. It is one reasons we strive to manage your venous disease early in life and will help you to maintain your legs lifelong in compression stockings.

Compression stocking are much more accepted in Europe; we Americans have been slow to adopt this simple yet very effective technology.

If you have edema, ask about graduated compression hosiery to help aid this problem. AVC encourages you to make an appointment with the veins center if you have any of these issues. We can help rule out any veins in legs problems and get you into the correct compression stockings.