How are vein diseases different from arterial diseases?

Both veins and arteries transport blood throughout our bodies. The arteries bring the oxygenated blood from our heart to the rest of the body, while the veins carry the deoxygenated blood back to the heart. Our hearts pump the blood through the arteries. The heart, however, does not assist blood movement through the veins. That has the biggest impact on our legs obviously due to erect position of humans. That is why appropriate flow of venous blood in our legs, more than anywhere else in the body, is so dependent on proper function of venous valves.

What Manhattan residents should know about both vein disease and arterial diseases?

It is important to know that both vein diseases and arterial diseases are more prevalent than most people suspect, that both can be serious and life-threatening, and that both can be difficult to diagnose. Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, affects approximately 8 million Americans and may have symptoms such as pain while walking or resting. PAD can be treated if it is discovered, but can be very dangerous if not treated because it can lead to gangrene and limb loss, and can be associated with heart attack and stroke.
Vein diseases affect even more people, around 24 million Americans, and its most common form is chronic venous insufficiency or CVI. CVI results from a variety of factors including advanced age, genetics, and lifestyle factors such as obesity and inactivity, all of which can add stress to the veins and cause them to weaken over time. As they weaken, blood begins to pool in the veins, leading to swelling, pain, and unsightly varicose veins and spider veins. Although varicose veins by themselves are not life-threatening, there are much more serious conditions, such as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, when blood clots develop in deep veins in the legs. DVT can be quite dangerous because the clot may break free of its location in the leg and travel to the lungs causing a condition called “pulmonary embolism”, or PE. It is known that over 300,000 people in the US every year die from PE.

How are vein diseases and arterial diseases diagnosed and treated?

At a reputable varicose vein center such as New York Vein Treatment Center in New York City, vascular specialists offer a professional, thorough venous and arterial health evaluation. These examinations are painless and may involve a surface examination of your skin, the use of Doppler ultrasound to visualize the veins and arteries deep beneath the skin, a review of your medical history, genetic predisposition and an in-depth assessment of your individual risk factors. If a vascular condition is discovered that needs treatment, modern therapies are minimally invasive and usually do not require hospital visits or surgery. A range of treatments are available from conservative approaches such as lifestyle changes, different types of medications and compression stockings, to a wide variety of minimally invasive procedures . The best treatment for you depends on you individual characteristics, appropriate evaluation of which by a qualified vein specialist will help you to make a decision.

A reputable spider vein specialist or varicose vein doctor such as Dr. Lev Khitin at the New York Vein Treatment Center can help you learn more about vein diseases and arterial diseases, and explain all the possible diagnostic and treatment options to you. To set up a consultation, please call our office at (212) 575-8346 today. We look forward to meeting you.

Dr. Lev Khitin

Dr. Lev Mark Khitin, a leading cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, is the founder of the New York Vein Treatment Center. With almost 20 years of experience and over 20,000 successful vein procedures, he is a renowned expert in the diagnosis and treatment of venous disease. Dr. Khitin’s patient-centered approach and advanced surgical skills have consistently delivered excellent results, making him a prominent figure in the field.