What is Venous Reflux Disease?

UNDERSTANDING VENOUS REFLUX DISEASE

The healthiest veins in your legs contain valves that assist with allowing blood to flow to the heart, by opening and closing as needed. Venous reflux disease begins when those valves that keep the blood flowing to your heart no longer   function. This causes the blood to pool in your legs resulting in various signs and symptoms shown in the image below. It can be caused by several different vein disorders, but it’s most often caused by either blood clots or varicose veins. Your treatment options depends on what’s causing the condition, but your PCA Cardiologist might recommend compression stockings or an Venous Reflux Duplex Ultrasound to see if you may be a candidate for an RFA Ablation procedure.

Signs and Symptoms:

Varicose veins, leg or ankle swelling, leg heaviness and fatigue, leg pain, aching or cramping, burning or itching of the skin, restless legs, skin changes or rashes, and ulcers, open wounds, or sores…

RFA ABLATION:Endovenous Ablation (RFA Ablation) uses radiofrequency energy to precisely and effectively treat patients suffering from venous reflux disease.

An RFA Ablation is performed by making a small incision through which a catheter is inserted into the targeted vein (depicted in the image above). Once precisely placed, the catheter  delivers radiofrequency energy to the wall of the vein, which causes it to eventually collapse and seal so that blood can no longer travel through it and the vein can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Once the damaged veins have been sealed, blood is naturally re-routed through other, healthier veins in the body.