Valve lesions are the main culprit. The prevalence of varicose veins in the lower extremities is about 7% in the population. The main pathogenesis of varicose veins in the lower extremities is the incomplete closure of the valves of the saphenous veins into the deep veins, which leads to backflow of blood and increases the pressure in the veins, causing them to dilate and twist over time, which is called varicose veins. Varicose veins usually occur first in low places, such as the lower legs. The dangers of varicose veins Varicose veins can develop for several years, or even more than a decade, without obvious clinical symptoms. Some patients have soreness, heaviness and nocturnal calf cramps. But this does not mean that varicose veins are not harmful. When the disease progresses to a certain extent, complications such as intravenous thrombosis, sterile inflammation (phlebitis), hyperpigmentation, ulcers, bruising dermatitis, rupture and bleeding can occur. For beauty lovers, twisted varicose veins on the legs become a psychological burden for years. Can varicose veins be life threatening? The vast majority of varicose veins are not life-threatening. In rare cases, such as a thrombosis that spreads to a deep vein and causes a pulmonary embolism, or a ruptured varicose vein that bleeds profusely (with high pressure and painlessly undetectable), it can be fatal. New concepts in the treatment of varicose veins In the past, it was thought that asymptomatic varicose veins or elderly patients could be treated conservatively first, including medication or compression stockings. However, today, the answer to the question “Is it better to treat varicose veins early with surgery or first with conservative treatment?” The answer to this question has subtly changed. More and more varicose vein patients are opting for early, minimally invasive surgical treatment. Medications and compression stockings Medications and compression stockings, as the primary means of conservative varicose vein treatment, can only delay the progression of the disease but cannot treat the root cause of varicose veins. The drawbacks of conservative treatment are: 1. long-term use of drugs brings side effects. 2. The use of elastic stockings reduces the quality of life (e.g. too hot in summer, hard to wear, need to buy new stockings every 6 months). 3.There is a possibility that the disease will progress and the opportunity to choose minimally invasive surgery will be lost. 4.Once complications occur, the recurrence rate and failure rate of surgery increases significantly. 5.Lose the purpose of leg aesthetics after surgery. Minimally invasive day surgery The development of medicine has also made the surgery of varicose veins of lower limbs more and more minimally invasive. With minimally invasive surgery and modern anesthesia, patients do not need to be hospitalized after surgery. A varicose vein day surgery at the vascular clinical site of Dr. Zhang Qiang Group can be performed in just a few hours and you can walk home. Consequences of Delayed Treatment One of the consequences of the development of varicose veins is that as blood from the deep veins flows back into the opening of the diseased saphenous vein, it flows backwards into the superficial venous system, creating an ineffective circulation that aggravates the burden on the deep veins and, over time, leads to or exacerbates the degree of deep venous valvulopathy. The severity of the deep venous lesions is an important factor in the chance of recurrence after varicose vein surgery. Once the condition reaches the point of venous thrombophlebitis, edema, hyperpigmentation, bruising dermatitis, or ulceration, the effectiveness of the surgery is greatly reduced. For example, surgery does not eliminate the darkening of the skin, surgery is very ineffective for edema, and surgery is less than 80% effective for bruising dermatitis. Phlebitis also takes a long time to subside. Therefore, to avoid these complications, the best option is to address varicose veins with early surgery before complications arise. Varicose veins in the elderly The general condition of elderly patients decreases with age. If they do not undergo minimally invasive surgery early and develop varicose vein complications later, they often cannot be treated because they cannot tolerate surgery. Varicose veins in women of childbearing age For patients with varicose veins who wish to become pregnant, try to treat the varicose veins before they become pregnant, otherwise it will be more difficult to deal with them in case of complications during pregnancy, considering the fetus.