What you need to know about the diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins

  Causes: Varicose veins are the most common disease of the venous system, mostly occurring in people engaged in permanent standing work and heavy physical labor, the causes of formation are many, mainly genetic factors, congenital dysplasia and the influence of acquired habits, etc. Some patients also have a combination of long-term asthma, constipation and other diseases that cause long-term abdominal pressure increase, some female patients are mainly pregnant during the increase in abdominal pressure leading to venous valve Some female patients are mainly caused by the increase of abdominal pressure during pregnancy, which leads to the destruction of venous valves and eventually causes varicose veins.  Presentation: Most varicose veins occur in the lower extremities, where the skin of the legs appears red or blue, like spider webs or earthworms, or hard nodules like tree tumors, and the veins become abnormally enlarged, swollen, and varicose.  The signs and symptoms of simple saphenous varicose veins are usually not serious, but mainly consist of dilated, elongated, and tortuous superficial veins in the lower extremities. During the initial stage of superficial vein dilatation, there may be soreness, swelling, discomfort, and pain, which may be apparent when standing and disappear after walking or lying down. The early stages of simple saphenous varicose veins are often symptomatic, while the later stages are dominated by superficial varicose veins and the resulting complications. In severe cases, swelling of the affected limb, especially in the lower calf and ankle, may occur as the disease progresses to a later stage. The swelling of the affected limb usually decreases significantly in the morning and even subsides, and then swelling appears in the afternoon. Complications such as dystrophic lesions of the skin of the ankle also occur more often.  The complications caused by the late stage of simple saphenous varicose vein include superficial vein thrombophlebitis, rupture and bleeding of superficial varicose vein (spontaneous or traumatic), in addition to dystrophic lesions of the skin in the foot and boot area.  The examination of varicose veins of lower extremities: 1. In the medical history, we should pay attention to the relationship between occupation, family history, pregnancy and the onset of varicose veins, the presence of chronic diseases of chest or abdomen, the history of trauma to lower extremities, the presence of deep phlebitis or deep vein thrombosis, the time of occurrence and symptoms (heavy lower extremities, hidden calf pain, easy fatigue, edema and bleeding), as well as the relationship between symptoms and standing, movement and bed rest, the situation of past treatment and effect of past treatment.  2.Check in detail whether there are other diseases in the body, whether there is a mass in the abdomen (especially attention should be paid to the presence of pelvic tumors), whether there is pregnancy, and whether there is a local vascular murmur.  3.Check whether the lesion is in the saphenous vein or small saphenous vein, on one side or both sides, the degree of varicose, whether the function of saphenous vein valve is sound, whether the deep vein is unobstructed, and whether the function of the valve of the traffic branch between the deep and superficial veins is sound by conventional methods.  4.Check whether there is edema, pigmentation, ulceration, eczema and acute inflammation in the affected limb.  5, pay attention to differentiate from varicose veins caused by arteriovenous fistula and deep vein thrombophlebitis.  Examination of simple varicose veins of lower limbs: including clinical examination, non-invasive examination and venography of lower limbs. Ultrasound of lower extremity veins is currently preferred as an adjunctive test because it is non-invasive and repeatable.  The diagnosis can be made based on the typical symptoms of the attack. In addition, clinical and laboratory tests should be performed according to the history of the disease in order to make a diagnosis of the cause and to guide the correct clinical treatment.  Most patients with varicose veins are not serious and do not require treatment, and health care and prevention are most important. However, if the varicose veins are too severe, they are prone to recurrent ulcers, infections and bleeding, and misconceptions about prescriptions and wrong treatments can aggravate the symptoms of varicose veins. Therefore, the best way is to consult a specialist for proper advice.  Varicose veins can be treated in several ways: Compression therapy: The use of elastic stockings, which use external pressure to reduce swelling during exercise. Theoretically, the pressure of an elastic stocking is greatest at the ankle and gradually decreases from there. It is usually best to wear elastic stockings up to the thigh. They are best worn early in the morning before waking up, and then removed at night after going to bed. If the patient has already developed leg ulcers due to venous hypertension, antibiotics and diuretics should be administered as directed by the physician, along with special Ezymatic Therapy.  Sclerotherapy: A hypertonic solution (such as highly concentrated saline or sclerosing agent) is injected into the varicose vein to destroy the lining of the vessel and make it disappear after sealing. However, only small varicose veins can be treated and there may be severe pain, pigmentation, inflammation, redness, swelling, ulceration and other sequelae during treatment.  Extracorporeal laser or pulsed light: The same principle as the laser cosmetic treatment for spot removal. The advantage is that only local anesthesia is needed, the treatment time is short, the pain is low, the wound is quite small, no unsightly scars will be left, and you can walk immediately. However, only for microscopic spider veins, it takes several sessions to be effective.  Surgical stripping: An incision is made in the groin and the saphenous vein is cut and ligated or withdrawn, requiring semi-body or general anesthesia. If the varicose veins are too severe, several small incisions may be required to remove the varicose veins in sections. The treatment is complete but has the disadvantage of subcutaneous bruising and a more painful wound.  Endovascular cautery: A small incision is made on the inside of the knee or ankle, and a very thin catheter is inserted to cauterize and block the flow of blood to the varicose vein using high-frequency waves (or radiofrequency) or laser beams. Endovascular cautery alone has the advantages of being performed under local anesthesia, no hospitalization, less scarring and pain, and the ability to walk home with a bandage after treatment, with a high success rate. However, it is not reimbursed by health insurance and most patients may not be solved by this method alone, but need to be supplemented with other modalities such as minimally invasive varicose vein rotation system to have a more complete treatment. In some patients, the vein trunk is so large that incomplete occlusion or thrombosis may occur after laser treatment, requiring secondary surgery.  Minimally invasive varicose endoscopic system: Endoscopic and suction spin-cutting method is used to crush and suck out the earthworm-like veins, the wound is smaller and more beautiful than traditional surgery, but the trauma under the skin is larger, so it can be called “small incision surgery”, but it cannot be considered “minimally invasive surgery”. It can be called “small incision surgery” but not “minimally invasive surgery” and is prone to postoperative complications such as hematoma, lymphedema, and local skin numbness.