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Showing posts with label superficial thrombophlebitis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superficial thrombophlebitis. Show all posts

Monday, 14 October 2013

Phlebitis - scan needed to select correct treatment

Phlebitis is a very mis-used word - and leads to incorrect treatments. Antibiotics are NOT the right treatment for phlebitis.



Phlebitis can cause a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) and so now new guidelines from the UK and USA are out to make sure people get the right treatment.

Before the correct treatment can be selected, it is essential to have a duplex ultrasound scan:
  1.  To confirm the diagnosis of phlebitis
  2. To see the extent of the clot
  3. To choose the optimal treatment
For more information see www.phlebitis.co.uk
 

Friday, 21 December 2012

Phlebitis and haemosiderin from untreated varicose veins

This 46 year old man came to The Whiteley Clinic having had varicose veins for years. He had not had them treated as "they did not cause him any trouble".

Three weeks ago he suddenly had discomfort and inflammation over his right shin - with hard tender lumps where the varicose veins had been:

 
Superficial thrombophlebitis and haemosiderin complicating varicose veins
that should have been treated before these problems occurred 
Once the lumps and tenderness had appeared, he realised that he needed his veins treated and so chose The Whiteley Clinic becuase of our reputation for excellence.

On examination however, we noticed that he also had brown stains around his ankles. This brown discoluration is called "haemosiderin" deposition and is due to the skin being damaged from long term varicose veins (or "venous reflux") that haven't been treated.

Brown stains (haemosiderin) around the ankle due to
inflammation from long term varicose veins 
The patient underwent a specialist venous duplex ultrasound scan by a Whiteley Clinic trained expert vascular technologist.

This showed they underlying varicose veins that had caused both of these problems - and would go on to cause further damage and leg ulceration if left untreated.

Phlebitis (or properly "superficial thrombophlebitis") - clots in the
varicose veins and inflammed skin surrounding the affected area
As with most people suffering from such conditions, the venous duplex ultrasound showed that this patient can be cured using the local anaesthetic walk-in walk-out surgery.

By following The Whiteley Protocol, a combination of EVLA (Endovenous Laser Ablation), TRLOP (TRansLuminal Occlusion of Perforators), phlebectomies and foam sclerotherapy will cure this patient, reversing most of the damage and preventing the further deterioration of the leg towards more phlebitis, skin damage and ulcers.

For more information:
www.phlebitis.co.uk
www.venouseczema.co.uk