Venous Wound Treatment

Venous wounds are the most severe manifestation of a condition called chronic venous insufficiency. Venous insufficiency is a broad term in medicine that is used to describe any vein abnormality that causes insufficient blood through the veins of the leg.

In its least severe form, venous insufficiency can cause medically insignificant spider veins, but as the disease progresses from the early stages, varicose veins may develop and the affected leg(s) may become swollen and painful. As more veins are affected and blood flow is further compromised, the lower half of the leg can undergo major changes in appearance and wounds can develop. In most individuals with venous insufficiency, this disease process takes place over several years and many cases aren’t symptomatic until later stages of disease. Read on to learn about venous wound treatment.

Venous Wound Causes

Venous Wound Symptoms

Venous Wounds

The lower leg undergoes major changes when venous insufficiency gets serious:

• Wound – usually forms between the mid-calf and the ankle bone
• Skin color changes – red-brown coloration or whitening of the leg can occur
• Eczema – parts of the skin become red and itchy
• Lipodermatosclerosis – the skin becomes tough and inflexible

Leg Swelling

Venous insufficiency causes blood to pool in the veins and leak into surrounding tissues, causing:

• Edema – the leg becomes swollen with fluid
• Varicose veins – swollen, bulging veins coursing along the surface of the leg
• Heaviness – swelling can make the legs feel heavy
• Fatigue – especially when active

Leg Pain

Venous insufficiency can cause a variety of pain patterns:

• Leg cramps – especially at night
• Claudication – thigh / leg pain and tightness when exercising
• Venous wound pain – aching, soreness, restless legs, or burning throughout the leg

• Age – the older you get, the more likely you are to develop venous insufficiency
• Gender – women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with venous insufficiency
• Lifestyle or Occupation – extended periods of sitting, standing, or low mobility are thought to contribute to venous insufficiency
• Obesity – vein compression in the abdomen may increase your risk of venous insufficiency
• Family History – venous insufficiency may run in your family
• Smoking – smoking has been shown to increase the risk of venous insufficiency

Venous Wound Diagnosis

Venous Wound Treatment

Superficial Vein Closure

Deep Vein Revascularization

Deep vein revascularization is an image-guided procedure in which blood flow obstructions in the deep veins are opened up to improve blood flow and circulation. Flow obstructions can be caused by venous reflux, extrinsic compression, a blood clot, or chronic occlusion. A few different techniques are used by a Vascular Specialist to address these unique pathologies:

• Angioplasty – a balloon device is positioned along the length of the obstructed vein and inflated, forcing the obstruction to open.
• Stenting – a tubular support device made out of a special metal or polymer is placed along the length of the deep vein obstruction and left in the vein to help it stay open after the procedure.
• Thrombectomy – a mechanical device is used to remove clot or chronic occlusion from a deep vein.

Compression Stockings

Venous Wound Care

Before & After Venous Wound Treatment

The image below shows how vein treatment can heal vascular wounds.

Prior to vein treatment (left image), this vascular wound was particularly stubborn and unresponsive to standard wound care techniques. A simple ultrasound investigation revealed that vein disease was preventing healthy blood flow to this part of the leg, which prevented the wound from healing. After superficial vein closure with VenaSeal glue, the vascular wound began to heal (right image).

Are you living with a venous wound? Get in touch with us at ProVascularMD to learn more about specialized vascular care. We’ve helped hundreds of patients overcome debilitating vascular wounds.

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