Venous Stasis Ulcer

A venous stasis ulcer can be a nasty-looking open wound near your ankle. It’s not usually caused by an injury, but from a leaking vein within your foot or leg. If you don’t have it treated right away, it can become infected, so find the best vascular specialist in Brooklyn, NY and Bronx, NY. Dr. George Bolotin is a trained expert in vein diseases and conditions. His practice, the Astra Vein Treatment Center, offers venous ulcer treatments specific to your condition. Call today for an appointment.

What Is a Venous Stasis Ulcer?

A skin ulcer manifests as an open wound that heals slowly. The healing period for a venous ulcer can last anywhere from weeks to even years. Worse perhaps is that, if the underlying condition isn’t treated, the ulcer can become a recurring problem. Other known problems associated with a venous stasis ulcer include:

• A venous stasis ulcer often develops on the side of the lower leg, around your ankle. This creates problems in mobility that can impact your quality of life.
• Older women, especially African American women over the age of 40, are at a higher risk of developing the condition.

Open wounds or sores must be diagnosed and treated immediately to prevent infection and escalation. Because the cause is often a circulation problem, you need to see a vascular specialist rather than a dermatologist. The Astra Vein Treatment Center in Brooklyn, New York and Bronx, New York comes highly recommended. Dr. George Bolotin is a top Interventional Radiologist with years of experience treating vascular diseases and ulcers. He performs procedures that include:

• Endovenous laser ablation
• Endovenous radiofrequency ablation
• Sclerotherapy for spider veins
• Ambulatory phlebotomy

What Causes a Venous Stasis Ulcer?

A venous stasis ulcer is usually the result of blood circulation problems in your legs. Like when the valves that control the flow of blood in the veins in your foot get damaged, your blood pools there, which leads to high pressure within the veins. The pressure causes fluid to leak out of the veins, resulting in the breakdown of surrounding tissues. The result may be an ulcer on the surface of your skin, even though the problem started in your vein.

Your vein doctor in Brooklyn and Bronx needs to diagnose the reason for the ulcer before you can get the venous skin ulcer treatment. A physical exam often is followed by a medical history, a family history and perhaps some imaging tests. The causes that Dr. Bolotin investigates include:

• Venous insufficiency
• Signs of spider veins and varicose veins
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Poor circulation from a partially blocked vein
• Blood clots
• Infections
• Obesity
• Uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes
• Standing or sitting for long periods

What Are the Symptoms of a Venous Stasis Ulcer?

The first sign of trouble is when your skin turns dark red or purple because the blood is leaking out of a vein. If you don’t visit to your local vein specialist at the Astra Vein Treatment Center, your condition progresses into a venous ulcer. If you still don’t seek treatment, the wound can get infected, emitting a bad odor and draining pus.

Don’t let the wound get that bad. Be on the lookout for these and other noticeable symptoms. They alert you that you require leg ulcer treatment. Other symptoms include:

• Swelling and cramping in your legs
• A heavy feeling in your legs
• A dull ache at the site of the irritation or wound
• Red, itchy and tingly skin near your ankle
• Skin that’s shiny, tight and warm or hot to touch around the venous ulcer
• Unevenly-shaped edges to the ulcer

What Venous Ulcer Treatments Are Effective?

Dr. Bolotin treats the skin ulcer, as well as its cause, but your treatment depends on the severity of your condition. If it’s bad enough, if you let it go for too long, you may be facing venous stasis ulcer treatment that requires anywhere from six to 12 months. Your vascular specialist may begin with the least invasive procedures if your wound isn’t severe. Effective forms of leg ulcer treatment include:

• Leg elevation. Raising your leg reduces the swelling in your lower leg. Do this for 30 minutes, three to four times a day.
• Compression therapy. This involves using compression stockings that decrease the recurrence of ulcers and promote healthy circulation.
• Unna boots. This treatment involves a specialized gauze that hardens into a snug boot. It improves the flow of blood in the veins while healing the ulcer.
• Dressings. There are several different types, like a transparent dressing using clear plastic film, to improve circulation. Another type is a hydrocolloid dressing that removes dead tissue while promoting healing.
• Medications. Your vein doctor in Brooklyn and Bronx may recommend aspirin or pentoxifylline along with compression therapy.
• Sclerotherapy for varicose veins. This minimally invasive outpatient procedure allows your vascular specialist to remove a damaged vein.
• Surgery. Always the last resort, debridement surgery involves thoroughly cleaning the open ulcer wound. Then all the infected and dead tissue is removed before the wound is dressed.

Since most foot ulcer treatment and leg ulcer treatment is relatively mild, there’s no reason to delay. Contact the Astra Vein Treatment Center today to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. George Bolotin, so he can diagnose and treat your leg wound.