Do you have tired, heavy, aching, swollen and painful legs?

At least 25% of women and 15% of men suffer from these symptoms.

Dr. Charles Bowkley III M.D. and Dr. Geoffrey Smith M.D., FACR are Interventional Radiologists who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins. A consultation with one of our physicians and a simple ultrasound can diagnose venous insufficiency.

Background

A little background on how the veins work, well how they’re supposed to work. In normal veins, valves open and close to get blood back to your heart. Venous insufficiency, the cause of varicose veins, happens when the valves inside the veins fail and let blood flow in the wrong direction.

There are several factors that increase your chances of developing varicose veins:

• Heredity
• Gender
• Pregnancy
• Age
• Prolonged Standing
• Obesity
• Physical Trauma

Those who have had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are also at risk for a similar problem known as deep venous reflux.

If left untreated, varicose veins can lead to skin ulcerations. These are wounds in the area of the calf and ankle that do not heal without treating the underlying vein. Often, these wounds can become infected, warranting immediate intervention.

Diagnosis

The ultrasound test takes about an hour. The technologist will squeeze your legs while documenting the direction of blood flow in the veins. Once we have the results of the ultrasound you and your physician will work together to choose the best plan of care.

Diagnosis of venous insufficiency and its treatment are considered medical conditions, and they are covered by most insurance companies. Our billing office takes care of the pre-certification process for you.

Our success rate is nearly flawless. With proper post procedure care, recurrence rates in the treated veins are almost zero.