Although venous problems are probably among the most common chronic conditions in the Minnesota, ulcers are not common. Venous stasis ulcers are the end- stage of venous insufficiency. The region most commonly affected is the area just above the medial side of ankle (medial malleolus). Venous insufficiency develops when the valves malfunction within the veins occurs, and blood flows back down the lower extremity that leads to elevated pressures within the veins and capillaries. These “dammed-back” capillaries undergo changes , which further diminish nutrient exchange in the surrounding tissues.

Venous ulcers present with areas of poorly healing skin wounds, red-based or exudative, with local skin necrosis and irregular borders. Frequently the surrounding tissue has other signs of venous insufficiency, such as hyperpigmentation, pitting edema, and excess scar formation. Without proper treatment, venous stasis ulcers can take many months to heal.

The mainstay of treatment for Venous stasis ulcers in the Minneapolis & St Paul areas is compression with Unna’s boots. Unna’s boots are left in place for 7-10 days and then changed weekly. Debridement is important part of wound care. Debridement of necrotic debris should be provided to encourage growth of granulation tissue. Antibiotics are seldom useful in the treatment of venous stasis ulcers unless signs of infection are present.

The underlying cause of venous stasis ulceration is venous stasis. Using modern technolgoies and minimal invasive techniques such as endovenous laser ablation, sclerotherapy and mini phlebectomy the breaking down of skin tissue can be corrected. By correcting the increased pressure in the superficial venous system with the ablation, the vein specialist in Procedure Clinic not only can help to heal the venous stasis ulcer, but can prevent chronic recurrence.

Varicose veins often occur during pregnancy as a result of extra blood that’s produced, which adds a lot of pressure on blood vessels inside the leg veins. Also, the size of a woman’s uterus keeps increasing during pregnancy, adding further pressure to the pelvic blood vessels. Some hormones like progesterone produced during pregnancy have the vessel dilation effect.

Although varicose veins during pregnancy can show up almost anywhere in the lower half of your body, the bulging venous vessels are found primarily in the legs. They swell above the surface of the skin with those distinctive bluish and purplish bulges women in Minnesota love to hate.

Varicose veins are the common reason for the office visit in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas. Varicose veins may cause discomfort like itching and aching, and they’re certainly not nice to look at — but the good news is they’re unlikely to pose any major risk. Most Varicose veins typically shrink or completely disappear within a few months following birth. However, in the case that a woman becomes pregnant again, these same veins might reappear. Like many other pregnancy symptoms, varicose veins tend to be hereditary.

The best thing for women in Minnesota to do for their Varicose veins during pregnancy is keep the blood circulating by exercising and keep the legs elevated when sitting. It is also important not to wear tight clothing to cause added pressure on the veins. Wearing support hose can support veins and improve the symptoms such as heaviness or leg swelling. Keeping weight gain to a minimum during pregnancy and sleeping on your left side to avoid pressure on your main blood vessels will also help. Lastly, getting your daily dose of vitamin C from a balanced diet will keep the veins healthy. If the Varicose veins don’t go away after the baby has arrived, there are options to have them medically treated or surgically removed, the newest treatment for varicose veins in Minneapolis is endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), other options include sclerotherapy and mini phlebectomy. Small spider veins can be removed in the noninvasive way with the external laser.