Venous Ulcers / Venous Stasis Ulcers

venous leg ulcersWhat Causes Leg Ulcers?

When blood pools or flows sluggishly, it is called “stasis.” Venous stasis can occur in leg veins due to failure of the valves: Venous Insufficiency. The increased back pressure causes the veins to balloon out and get “leaky”, initially causing swelling, or edema, in the lower calves. Eventually, the skin and underlying tissue become unhealthy; the skin may be thick and hard and develop a red-brownish discoloration, or become very thin with whitish blotches.

Symptoms of Venous Stasis Ulcers

When unhealthy tissue exhibits poor healing, a simple scratch can grow into a painful open sore, a Venous (Stasis) Ulcer. A Venous Stasis Ulcer is a serious complication of both deep and superficial leg vein disease. The ulcers can grow large and deep and become infected. They can take months, even years to heal.

Ulcerations are treated by good wound care combined with compression stockings or bandages. Long-term healing may be accomplished by alleviating the underlying Venous Insufficiency with a treatment option such as ClosureFast.

Learn about treatment options