New treatment for leg pain
After undergoing a new-andimproved treatment for varicose veins, Lori Quintus said she no longer suffers from tired, aching legs. In fact, she’s turned her newfound energy into a walking program that helped her lose 25 pounds last summer. Dr. Jeanette Viney General surgeon Medcenter One Q&R Clinic
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aricose veins and early adulthood don’t seem to go together. That’s why Lori Quintus, in her early 40s, never suspected the source of her fatigue, fitful sleep and aching legs might be vein related. “I didn’t have huge protruding veins,” Quintus said, “but I was tired and sluggish. I had aches and twitching in my legs at night that would wake me up.” Quintus described her condition to Medcenter One surgeon Dr. Jeanette Viney, who said, “Symptoms like burning, throbbing or heaviness in the legs can suggest greater saphenous reflux or incompetence,” that is, a major vein in the thigh with damaged valves and/or weakened walls. An ultrasound to measure how well blood was flowing in Quintus’ groin area showed several veins were not working and that blood was pooling in some spots, Dr. Viney said. Statistics show that more than 25 million Americans suffer from varicose veins, along with heavy and painful legs. The traditional
surgical solution to venous reflux disease until only a few years ago was vein stripping, an invasive and painful procedure. Since 2005, however, Dr. Viney has been treating such cases with an innovative closure procedure—called VNUS—to treat varicose veins. The closure procedure is an outpatient treatment that uses radio frequency technology and a tiny catheter to close off diseased veins so that the blood is naturally rerouted to healthy veins. “It’s pretty high-tech, really,” Quintus said. “There’s a little catheter that snakes up through your leg. Dr. Viney performs a vein ablation (the use of radio frequency energy for heat) that causes the vein to collapse and die. The incisions are so tiny, there’s not even any stitches. I went home with just an Ace bandage to cover the site.” Dr. Viney has performed more than 100 VNUS procedures and uses the method in more than 90 percent of her varicose vein surgeries. “Patients are more functional and recuperate more quickly with this procedure. They report much less pain and there is no cut or wound in the groin area,” Dr. Viney said, comparing it with the previously common method of vein stripping.
Innovative procedure offers convenient solution for varicose veins
Quintus is living proof of not just the ease of the procedure, but the amazing benefits. After having the procedure on one leg last April, and the other in June, she says the aches and interrupted sleep are history. She reports unexpected returns, too. “I have energy again,” she said. “In fact, I started walking and lost 25 pounds over the summer.” Varicose veins will continue to be a condition for which Quintus is on the look out. Because her grandmother had vein problems, too, she’s working on preventive steps that Dr. Viney would recommend to everyone. In addition to reintroducing exercise and activity into her schedule, Quintus is conscious of not crossing her legs and of keeping other undue pressure away. Dr. Viney adds that not only does genetic predisposition probably play a role in determining likely varicose vein sufferers, but that venous reflux disease is far from gender specific. She estimates that a third or more of her VNUS closure patients have been male. Quintus urges others with symptoms akin to hers to consider that a solution is possible and relatively pain-free. “Dr. Viney is just the best. She is so sweet and understands so well. I never felt judged or uncomfortable. She just got to the problem, and fixed it.” For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Viney, visit medcenterone.com or call 323-5300.
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