www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090210/LIFESTYLE/90 -
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Published on: 2/10/2009
Last Visited: 2/10/2009
Doctors thought for years that removing varicose veins was only for aesthetics, said Dr. Roberto Amado-Cattaneo, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Benefis Health System.
In the past few years, they've come to realize that varicose veins are a medical problem.
"It is a true disease," said Amado-Cattaneo, who has been offering laser vein removal for the past six months.
Blood travels from the heart to the extremities through arteries.
It returns to the heart through veins, but on the return trip, the blood doesn't have the heart's pumping power to help it out.
Instead, veins are lined with a series of little valves that act like dams and prevent the blood from flowing backward, he said.
As those valves wear out, blood begins to pool, creating varicose veins.
Doctors worry about varicose veins because as blood continues to pool, it increases the pressure on the veins, eventually causing swelling in the legs and ankles, Amado-Cattaneo said.
All that increased pressure can cause the skin to break down and eventually create skin ulcers, raw infected areas that are difficult to heal.
The veins' valves fail for several reasons.
It can be hereditary or from obesity, pregnancy or prolonged standing.
"Once they fail, they fail and stay damaged forever," Amado-Cattaneo said.
...
The Endovenous Laser Treatment, or EVLT, is done in Amado-Cattaneo's office.
It's not surgery, and the patient isn't put under general anesthetic.
To remove problem veins, Amado-Cattaneo uses an ultrasound to determine where valves are failing.
He inserts a wire that guides a catheter and a laser inside the vein.
...
The surface-level veins are kind of like a reservoir system and aren't really needed, Amado-Cattaneo said.
...
"Some go back to work the same day," Amado-Cattaneo said.
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