Warning - Varicose veins coming from Pelvic Veins

This lady, who presented to The Whiteley Clinic with varicose veins, typifies a problem that we are seeing very commonly.

Although her varicose veins appear to be in the legs, when she was scanned by the expert Vascular Technologists at The Whiteley Clinic, it was found that all of her underlying leg veins were normal - and all of the visible varicose veins come from "hidden varicose veins" in the pelvis.

Left leg varicose veins - however scan showed the underlying causes was from Pelvic Veins only. Surgery to the leg varicose veins (Stripping, Laser, Radiofrequency, etc) would NOT have worked

Had this lady gone to a normal varicose vein clinic or seen a normal varicose vein surgeon, she would have more than likely had her normal leg veins treated (by stripping, laser, radiofrequency or foam sclerotherapy).

Using The Whiteley Protocol, our patients have a scan that identifies exactly where the vein come from - and we don't make any assumptions. Hence most of our scans take some 40 minutes or more (unlike most venous scans that are rattled off in 10 minutes or so - missing more difficult patterns like this).

Varicose veins down the backs of both legs - however scan showed the underlying causes was from Pelvic Veins only. Surgery to the leg varicose veins (Stripping, Laser, Radiofrequency etc) would NOT have worked.

The successful treatment of women with this sort of pelvic venous problem starts off by identifying it.

Pelvic vein problems almost always occur in women who have had at least on baby by normal vaginal delivery. Very occasionally the problem can be found in women who have had caesarian sections - and very rarely in women who have not had childbirth, or in men.

Visible veins on the upper inner thigh, next to the vulva, shows that pelvic veins are probably involved.

One of the "tell-tale" signs are women who have veins at the top and inner side of their thighs, next to their vulva (para-vulval veins) as above.

A pelvic duplex ultrasound scan performed by one of our experts then shows which veins are involved, directing treatment by X-ray, through a pin-hole only.

Once the pelvic veins are treated, the bulging veins on the legs can then be treated, knowing that the chance of them coming back again is minimal.

However, if a woman with this problem had undergone surgery using normal techniques (such as stripping, laser of radiofrequency) the veins would return very soon after treatment, as the underlying pelvic veins would have been missed. Unfortunaltely, this is what usually happens and is one of the reasons that so many women get their veins back again after treatment elsewhere.

For more information please see: www.vulval-varicose-veins.co.uk