Small “valve”, big role

42-year-old Ms. Zhang felt easy fatigue in the calves two years ago, often sore and swollen discomfort, has not paid attention to. This year, it was found that the superficial blood vessels on the legs curved and bulged, and in some places the skin color became brown, and standing for a long time the calves were sore and swollen, especially in the afternoon, the legs were swollen and shiny, and the symptoms were alleviated by resting overnight. To the hospital examination, was diagnosed as primary lower limb deep vein valve insufficiency, the doctor explained to her is the leg of the “valve” venous valve problems, recommended her surgery treatment after the symptoms disappear. Primary lower extremity deep vein valve insufficiency is a lesion that has been recognized and paid attention to in recent years, mostly in women, and it can cause secondary varicose veins, which are different from simple varicose veins. The cause of the disease is the malfunction of the valves of the veins. Normally, the valves in the veins that carry blood back to the heart have a structure similar to a valve, which is attached to the wall of the vein in the case of blood flowing toward the heart, so that the vein is unobstructed. When the venous pressure increases due to standing or other reasons, it causes the venous blood to flow in the opposite direction, and under the impact of the reverse blood flow, the two valve leaves come together to stop the reverse flow of blood. The function of the venous valves is to make the venous blood flow back in the direction of the heart in one direction, that is, they act as a one-way valve. Don’t underestimate these valves, if for some reason the valves are damaged and lose their one-way valve function, the blood will flow backwards and the continuous backflow of blood will cause venous hypertension in the distal lower extremities, resulting in a series of pathophysiological changes. The reasons for the loss of valve function of venous valves are mainly congenital weakness of venous wall and valve development, long-term standing work and heavy physical labor; chronic abdominal pressure-increasing diseases such as pregnancy, chronic cough, habitual constipation, etc.; in addition, genetics, obesity, oral contraceptives and smoking also have some relationship. At present, deep vein valve reconstruction surgery is the most effective way to treat valve insufficiency. Anyone with symptoms should be actively treated surgically after excluding contraindications to surgery. Since deep venous valve insufficiency is accompanied by varicose veins, high saphenous vein ligation and stripping, varicose vein resection and traffic branch ligation need to be done at the same time. In addition to surgery, lower limb venous hypertension can be improved by applying elastic bandages and wearing medical compression stockings. Elevate the affected limb when lying in bed, avoid standing for too long or excessive weight bearing, avoid wearing too tight clothing and high heels; those with chronic cough and habitual constipation should actively treat the original disease.