Getting Your "Girl Legs" Back

This blog was previously published at Primewomen.com as Getting your “girl legs” back!

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is an underappreciated and often misdiagnosed medical problem. The clinical appearance of this condition varies from visible bulging varicose veins, to swelling, chronic inflammation, and even skin ulceration of more advanced CVD. Almost always the disease occurs in the legs, although it can also occur in the arms and even in the internal organs. This is more than a cosmetic problem as patients often have symptoms of pain and heaviness that gradually worsens over time. CVD is much more prevalent than coronary artery disease, affecting about 20% of the adult population in this country.

Too often, patients are told there is nothing that can be done about this problem. Many of our patients tell us at their first visit they have not worn shorts in twenty years due to the appearance of their legs as a direct result of chronic venous disease. Most can be helped with relatively simple procedures done in the office in a minimally invasive fashion. These procedures produce excellent cosmetic results and relief of the aching and heaviness they have lived with for years.

In the last decade there have been tremendous advances in the diagnosis and treatment of vein disease. Now, most vein problems can be diagnosed with a simple ultrasound examination. Computer enhanced images and Doppler combined with ultrasound can determine areas of blockage and flow patterns in the veins. These tests allow the physician to pinpoint vein problems and identify unhealthy veins with a high degree of accuracy. Treatment can be as simple as wearing compression stockings, or in more severe cases, eliminating the diseased veins with minimally invasive laser or radiofrequency technologies.

To have the freedom (especially during the hot Texas summer) to wear shorts again with healthy legs is a godsend to most of our patients. One of our patients summed this up perfectly when she wrote to us “Please know how much I appreciate your expertise in helping me reclaim my ‘girl legs’ after so many years of living with unsightly varicosities, and throbbing painful legs! It is really nothing less than miraculous that you so painlessly erased those ropey, purple messes from my life”.

To learn more about vein disease, vein health, and the treatment options for vein disease, please visit our website at ReederVein.com.