From time to time we receive vein patients with the venous reflux condition. What does venous reflux or venous incompetence mean and how is it diagnosed?

Venous Reflux is Backward Flowing Blood Circulation

Venous Reflux or Venous Incompetence occurs when the valves in the leg veins are not closing properly. When someone stands up, gravity forces the blood in the leg veins down toward the foot. The little valves in the leg veins close when the pressure becomes high and prevents blood from going in the wrong direction which is down.

Symptoms of Venous Reflux

When the valves are incompetent they do not close properly and allow blood to go in the reverse direction which is called reflux. This increased pressure in the vein results in the bulging tributary veins. Venous reflux also causes aching, throbbing, swelling and the other symptoms associated with venous insufficiency. Venous reflux disease commonly results in varicose veins, the swollen and discolored superficial leg veins that affect more than 25 million Americans.

How to diagnose Venous Reflux?

Venous reflux is diagnosed using an ultrasound which bounces sound waves off of the deeper structures in the legs and forms an image. It also shows and measures the amount of reflux by using color flow and doppler. Venous incompetence of the superficial veins can be easily treated by removing these veins from the circulation, but incompetence in the deep veins is very difficult to treat.