What Causes May-Thurner Syndrome to Develop?
May-Thurner syndrome is a rare vascular condition that can lead to life-threatening complications. Here’s a look at how and why it develops, as well as how we can treat it.
Varicose veins are blood vessels that are damaged and can’t perform their function efficiently. Treating the problem before it becomes advanced protects your entire circulatory system — and your overall health.
At Dallas Vein Institute and Texas Vascular Institute, with locations in Dallas and Hurst, Texas, interventional radiologist Dr. Dev Batra and his staff routinely use the VenaSeal™ procedure to remove varicose veins. Here’s what it involves.
Varicose veins, those ropy, colored protrusions on your legs and feet, occur when superficial veins become damaged. Whether that damage occurs from an injury or high blood pressure, the valves that allow for one-way-only blood flow back to the heart are no longer able to close completely, allowing blood to backtrack along its path, pooling around the valve. The vein becomes engorged with blood.
That state is known as venous insufficiency because the blood flow is no longer sufficient to supply the body’s tissues with oxygen and nutrients. Failure to treat the underlying condition can lead to more advanced — and harder to treat — stages of vein disease.
VenaSeal is a minimally invasive, non-thermal treatment for varicose veins and other stages of vein disease.
Before the procedure, Dr. Batra orders an ultrasound imaging exam of the leg to assess the state of disease and plan the procedure. Once he’s ready, the VenaSeal procedure goes through four steps.
Dr. Batra starts by numbing the area where he’ll access the vein. Then, using ultrasound, he inserts a catheter (i.e., a small hollow tube) into the diseased vein. You may feel some pressure as it goes in, but no pain.
VenaSeal uses a specially formulated medical adhesive (glue) that holds the vein walls together, stopping the blood flow and rerouting it to a nearby healthy vein. Dr. Batra guides the adhesive through the catheter until it reaches the desired spot. Over time, your body absorbs the inactive veins, and the protrusions will disappear from your legs.
Once the adhesive has been placed in the vein, Dr. Batra applies light external pressure to hold the walls together. He repeats this action along the entire length of the vein.
When the entire vein is sealed, Dr. Batra removes the catheter and places a small bandage over the puncture site. He also makes recommendations for any follow-up care you may need.
According to the manufacturer, the VenaSeal system boasts a 94.6% closure rate after five years.
If you’re dealing with varicose veins, even if they’re not causing you discomfort, it’s a good idea to have them removed to improve your vein health. Dallas Vein Institute and Texas Vascular Institute can help. To get started, call us at either location or book your appointment online.
