Venous Insufficiency in St. Louis - St. Louis Heart & Vascular

The severity and seriousness of venous insufficiency becomes worse as the disease progresses, so it’s important to seek medical treatment sooner rather than later to avoid complications.

Our team of expert cardiologists at St. Louis Heart and Vascular, with seven locations serving St. Louis and the surrounding communities, offers comprehensive care for adults of all ages with venous insufficiency.

If you have symptoms of venous insufficiency, call the St. Louis Heart and Vascular office nearest you to schedule a consultation with a vascular specialist.

Venous Insufficiency Treatment Q&A

What is venous insufficiency?

Venous insufficiency is a condition in which the valves in your veins that carry blood back to your heart stop the blood from flowing backward. As a result, the blood pools in the veins in your legs, since they are the farthest away from your heart, often causing varicose veins to form.

When the valves become weak and damaged as a result of a blood clot in your leg veins, or because of pelvic tumors and other factors, your veins stop working as needed. Other causes of venous insufficiency include:

Obesity
Pregnancy
Smoking
Family history
Inactivity or prolonged sitting or standing

What are the symptoms of venous insufficiency?

The symptoms of venous insufficiency may include any of the following:

Leg cramps
Swelling in your legs and ankles (edema)
Aching or throbbing sensation in your legs
Itchy feeling in your legs
The skin around your ankles that thickens or changes color
Skin ulcers on your legs and ankles
Varicose veins
Tightness or heaviness in your legs

If left untreated, symptoms of venous insufficiency can lead to severe pain and discoloration in your legs to the point of needing surgery to correct the problem. Additionally, if you have intense pain, swelling, and tenderness in your legs, or they feel warm to the touch, you may have a condition called May-Thurner syndrome (MTS), also known as iliac vein compression syndrome. Your doctor diagnoses and treats MTS as well as the venous insufficiency condition.

How is venous insufficiency treated?

Our nationally recognized team of cardiologists at St. Louis Heart and Vascular offers several treatment options to correct the problems associated with venous insufficiency. From diagnosis to treatment, our doctors perform all procedures on-site so you don’t have to go to a hospital. Depending on the severity of your condition, your customized treatment plan may include:

Endovenous laser therapy
Surgical repair of veins and damaged valves
Surgical removal of damaged veins
Vein bypass surgery in extreme cases

Our expert team at St. Louis Heart and Vascular treats every patient as an individual when it comes to conditions like venous insufficiency. We create a detailed treatment plan intended to effectively treat all of your symptoms as well as the underlying causes of your venous insufficiency. The sooner you seek medical attention for your symptoms, the more treatment options you have as well as an easier recovery.

Call the office location that’s closest to you to schedule a consultation for expert care for venous insufficiency.