Venous reflux is a diagnosed condition that can impact the circulation of blood in the legs and arms. Tiny valves help blood return from the extremities back to the heart by preventing backflow, but will no longer function in individuals diagnosed with venous reflux. This causes blood to pool in the legs that can lead to swelling and distention. Many exams are currently available to test for venous reflux, but only a few properly look for this condition. At the Laser Vein Center, Dr. Wright and his team use proper techniques to find the presence of this debilitating condition. Here is how venous reflux should be properly examined.
Preventing Inaccurate Results
Venous reflux is a condition that leads to blood pooling in the legs due to valves not properly working. When people stand, their valves should keep blood from flowing backwards away from the heart. Testing for venous reflux should be done while the patient stands for accurate results. Inaccurate results can be gathered if patients are not tested this way, incorrectly identifying valves that are not activated while lying down.
Over-diagnosis and unnecessary procedures are the result of venous reflux exams that are incorrectly done and lead to higher costs for your treatment. Other cosmetic offices may not use proper methods for their venous reflux examinations. This can be seen as facilities performing ultrasounds that only look for deep vein thrombosis or blood clotting. Ultrasound devices do not evaluate for venous reflux and lead to many patients being undiagnosed.
It is essential for physicians to understand how veins function normally in order to formulate a plan for treatment. A complete bilateral lower extremity venous color duplex ultrasound exam requires approximately one and a half to two hours to be performed. Anything less, such as 30-minute examinations, cannot considered to be an adequate venous reflux exam.
The Laser Vein Center uses a Doppler ultrasound while our patients stand to properly identify venous reflux. The ultrasound probe is placed on the leg and directed over the impacted vein to be studied. This technique shows whether blood is flowing forward towards the heart or back to the feet.
Choosing the Right Team for Your Venous Reflux Exam
Dr. Wright and his team of highly trained professionals understand how to properly identify venous reflux during our examinations. The Laser Vein Center has been confidently treating individuals in St. Louis with proper techniques for several years. Contact our office to set up a consultation and find out how we can properly exam you for venous reflux.
