What Are Venous Ulcers?

Written by Dallas Vein Specialists on July 20, 2010

Venous ulcers are chronic non-healing wounds of the lower leg, ankle, or foot that are caused by elevated venous pressure in the veins of the leg. The high venous pressure arises from the failure of the valves in the veins of the legs that in turn causes the blood to rush toward the foot when standing or sitting. This increased amount of blood filling and stretching the veins over time sets in motion a series of events in the tiny veins and capillaries of the skin and underlying tissues. Blood sludging in the microcirculation activates inflammatory events at the cell level of the skin and soft tissues. The skin takes on an unhealthy and woody appearance losing its soft and pliable texture. A dark or purplish discoloration occurs. In such a setting a scratch or minor trauma may result in an enlarging wound that is resistant to healing. The resulting weeping ulcer is painful and prone to infection.

At Dallas Vein Specialists we see patients with ulcers of the leg, ankle, and foot. We understand that ulcers can have causes other than vein disease, and we take care to make the proper diagnosis before initiating treatment. We believe that the great majority of patients with venous ulcers can be successfully treated using minimally  invasive modern techniques resulting in ulcer healing and importantly, not recurring.

VENOUS ULCER PATIENTS SHOULD RECEIVE THE RIGHT TREATMENT, AND THE ULCERS WILL HEAL IN A FEW MONTHS ……. AND WILL NOT RETURN!  It is unfortunate that many venous ulcer patients suffer with pain and messy wound care when a solution is available. All patients with non-healing wounds of the lower leg, ankle, or foot should be evaluated by a physician.