An Overview of Venous Disease

Board-certified radiologist Dr. Sammie I. Long, a former clinical assistant professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama Medical Center (USAMC), focused on serving her patients and going above and beyond her basic job duties. From 2003 to 2005, she collaborated with SIGVARIS of Georgia to teach vein health and provide venous disease screenings to employees of the USAMC. In that capacity, Dr. Sammie I. Long made basic education on lower extremity-based venous disease available to many of her work colleagues.

Venous disease occurs when the inner walls of the leg veins deteriorate, and the small valves of these veins become incompetent. With incompetent veins, blood flows toward the foot, a condition known as reflux. When the valves in superficial veins become incompetent, the deeper veins must carry more blood to and from the heart. As a result, these deeper veins expand and the valves often fail to properly close. One of the more severe forms of venous disease includes chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a crippling condition that often leads to edema, changes in skin, and sometimes ulcerations. 

Risk factors for venous disease include genetics, obesity, illness, and prolonged standing. Additionally, the condition may stem from trauma, surgery, and pregnancy. People with prior histories of blood clots are also at risk.