Why Do I Have Varicose Veins?

By Jonathan Calure, M.D.

Gravity. It brings us down. If you drop a marble from a bridge, three seconds later, it is falling towards the earth at over 30 mph. This same force is constantly pulling on the blood in your veins. Imagine 5 barrels of water sitting in a line. If you dunk your head into one you feel little pressure from the water on your ears. Now imagine plunging deeper into that barrel. With your head now at the bottom, your ears will feel the water pressure. There is more pressure at the bottom because of all the fluid above pressing down.

Now imagine stacking the five barrels on top of one another. The pressure at the bottom of the lowest barrel is the same as the pressure at the bottom of the highest barrel. Each container of water is separated from those above. The water in the lowest barrel feels only the pressure bearing down from its own container. If we take a giant plunger and punch though the stack of barrels, we now have a tall column of water. The water at the bottom of the lowest barrel now feels the weight of the four above. The pressure at that point is five times higher than when the 5 barrels were intact and separated.

In much the same way, the column of fluid in your leg veins is separated by a series of valves interspersed every 4 cm. along their course. These valves prevent the pressure from communicating down the pipe to the ankles. A circulatory condition called venous insufficiency, causes these valves to fail as the years go on. The weight of the blood pushes down into veins below that bulge and ache.

Over time this unhealthy circulatory pattern leads to tissue damage, including swelling, dermatitis, and ulceration. As the blood is not flowing properly, the varicosities may clot, causing phlebitis, or they may rupture and bleed. Additional risks of untreated venous insufficiency include deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, a potentially fatal event. Patients with venous insufficiency may complain of aching, fatigue, itching or restless legs. Symptoms worsen at the end of the day. Relief is obtained with leg elevation, support stockings and pain medication. Because symptom onset is gradual, this disease may take decades to become apparent. All too often patients and physicians alike defer seeking care.

 “Spider Veins” or telangiectasias are an early sign of venous insufficiency that appear when tiny skin veins, previously invisible, become engorged and enlarge. We evaluate many patients who present for treatment of spider veins, who have had these treated, only to see reappearance after 6-12 months. Worse still, some who opt for superficial treatments of leg spider veins exchange the veins for dark blotches in the skin. The underlying problem is never treated. A careful specialist ultrasound evaluation will usually show a deeper source of reflux in the single source vein.

A new outpatient treatment called the ClosureŇ Procedure uses radiofrequency energy to close the leaky source vein, and eliminate the major cause of varicose veins. With the Closure Procedure, a tiny catheter placed into the leaky source vein delivers a form of light energy to the vein wall. This energy causes collagen in the vein to change shape, closing the vein. This elegant procedure is completed in minutes with minimal or no discomfort and a return to work or normal activity the same day.

Closure is covered by most all insurances and is performed in an office setting. Clinical studies have shown outstanding safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction. Patients are delighted with symptom relief and cosmetic improvement, 98% of whom would recommend Closure for a friend.

Please visit our Website, www.MDVeinProfessionals.com  for before and after images and over 100 patient testimonials. Call us at 410-964-VEIN (8346) or 877-7MD-VEIN for a complimentary evaluation.

        Dr. Callure

A Cardiovascular Surgeon, Dr. Calure holds two American Board Certifications, in General Surgery as well as Cardiovascular Surgery. As one of the first physicians in the region to perform The Closure® procedure, Dr. Calure now  performs more Closure Procedures than any other Physician in the United States, according to VNUS Medical, Inc.. Dr. Calure’s Practice is devoted exclusively to Vein Care and has recently opened a 3500 sq ft Surgicenter.

Testimonial:

"What a phenomenal experience! Such an easy procedure with such dramatic results. In one day my legs felt 20 years younger! Thank you Dr. Calure and staff for your thoughtfulness, friendly care and fantastic treatment." Carolyn B., Columbia, MD