At the Varicose Vein Center in Port Jefferson Village, we see patients every week who've been struggling with leg ulcers for months or even years. They've tried countless bandages, creams, and home remedies with no success. What they really need is someone to address the root cause: the venous insufficiency making their wounds incapable of healing on their own.
Venous leg ulcers are open wounds that develop when damaged veins in the legs can’t return blood to the heart properly. They’re different from other types of wounds because they’re directly caused by chronic venous insufficiency, the same condition that causes varicose veins.
A typical cut or scrape heals within days or weeks. With a venous ulcer, the wound persists because there is an underlying circulation problem that prevents the body’s natural healing process from working effectively. It may heal slowly, or it may not heal at all without medical intervention.
The signs and symptoms of a venous ulcer may start well before the wound appears. You might notice:
Your veins contain one-way valves that control blood pressure and the direction of blood flow through the vessels. For a variety of reasons, these valves can weaken or fail, and instead of oxygen-poor blood flowing from your extremities back to your heart, it accumulates in your legs and increases pressure in your veins. This is called venous reflux.
As the problem continues, it can lead to tissue damage and eventually an ulcer. Think of it like a traffic jam in your veins — when blood can’t move forward efficiently, pressure builds up and eventually something has to give.
Various factors can trigger or worsen venous insufficiency:
At the Varicose Vein Center, we take a comprehensive approach to leg ulcers that addresses both the wound and its root cause.
Your treatment starts with a consultation. During this appointment, Dr. Ninia conducts a medical history review and physical examination. He also uses diagnostic ultrasound to identify exactly which veins are problematic and why. This information shapes your personalized treatment plan.
Once your ulcer has improved or healed, we move to the crucial next step: correcting the venous condition that caused the problem in the first place. Without this step, ulcers often recur within months. We offer multiple advanced options to address venous insufficiency:
Don’t wait for your ulcer to become infected or worsen. The sooner we address the root cause, the faster you can get back to living without the daily worry that comes with a chronic wound.
Contact our Long Island vein clinic today to schedule your vein health evaluation.
