As always in medicine, the sooner you are treated the better the outcome. Contact us as soon as possible with your symptoms, especially if you experience sudden pain in your leg (typically one-sided) and swelling of the leg.
For a specified period of time a blood-thinning agent in form of tablets or injections are applied on a daily basis, in order to prevent the progression and most importantly a pulmonary embolism. The blood-thinning treatment is maintained for another 3 to 6 months. In principle a compression bandage is applied to the affected leg until the swelling has reduced, then a compression stocking is to be worn and general measures to be carried out.
First a deep vein thrombosis must be ruled out before further steps can be taken. A compression bandage is applied an if needed an anti-inflammatory is taken. Blood-thinning treatment is only rarely required. Finally, the actual cause for the inflammation of the vein, commonly a superficial varicose vein is at fault, must be treated.
International guidelines consider the catheter treatment of saphenous varicosis as the the number 1 treatment, in comparison to the earlier stripping method.
For the catheter treatment the saphenous vein is punctured on the lower leg and then, under ultrasonic supervision, the catheter is painlessly pushed into the vein as far as the groin. All under local anesthesia, with the heating element at the end of the catheter the vein is closed from the inside, during its extraction it’s slowly removed, sealing the vein from top to bottom. Thanks to this minimal invasive procedure, it’s possible for the patient to leave immediately after the treatment. For the following three weeks compression stockings have to worn.
The use of minimal-invasive treatments such as foam sclerotherapy, radio wave catheter, mini-phlebectomy are used to seal diseased veins in the superficial vein system. However damage to the deep veins often result in swelling of the leg, which is treated in a conservative manner by compression therapy, medication and other general measures.
The ulcus cruris basically is a wound, that has to be disinfected. Compression therapy and the occasional improvement to the arterial oxygen supply is sometimes necessary.
Smaller lateral saphenous branch veins are sealed by foam sclerotherapy. Here a micro foam is injected into the vein, which closes the vein and breaks down the protein in the vascular wall. In the following weeks the body will resorb the sealed vein entirely.
Diagnostics and therapy of the existing risk factors
Before invasive measures are taken, risk factors must be treated. Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and increased blood fats. Apart from treating these risk factors with medication, a strict abstinence from nicotine, a diet and exercise, such as gait training, are required. Arterial vascular blockage can be treated by catheterization.
The patient lies consciously on the surgery bench. Under local anesthesia, a thin plastic tube is inserted painlessly in to the groin artery. Thanks to a contrast agent and X-ray technology the diseased vessel can be made visible. The vascular blockage is usually unblocked by dilating the affected area with a catheter-aided balloon. So-called stents sometimes have to be used to ensure the vascular patency.
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Vascular diseases can have any one of an array of causes. Our Vascular Centre combines the experience and competence of 13 doctors with decades of professional experience in their fields.
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