Venous Stasis

Venous stasis, also referred to as venous stasis dermatitis, is a skin condition that develops as a result of venous insufficiency.  Venous insufficiency occurs when the veins of the lower leg are no longer able to direct blood flow back to the heart as efficiently as they once did. This results in pooling of the blood in the lower leg, which can lead to extremely high pressure inside the veins in the lower legs (“venous hypertension”).

In some severe cases of venous insufficiency, the pressure inside the veins near the ankle can be similar to the blood pressure inside the arteries.  High levels of venous hypertension can exert its pressure upon the small tiny veins and the capillaries in the skin, which make them rupture and spill red blood cells into the tissue layer.  These red blood cells slowly break down and leave the iron molecules inside the hemoglobin.  Repeated rupture of these tiny red blood cells into the skin tissue gradually manifest themselves as brownish, brawny discoloration in the skin.  Sometimes, the skin opens into an open sore, known as a “skin ulcer,” or diagnosed as a “Venous Stasis Ulcer.”

Venous stasis ulcers usually occur on the “inner” side of the lower leg and ankle, and they can be very difficult to treat.  They also have a high infection and recurrence rate.  They require advanced wound care that can last for weeks, months, or sometimes over a year to heal.  Treatment of the underlying venous insufficiency and venous stasis is essential to healing these ulcers, and they should be evaluated by a vein specialist who also provides advanced wound care.  Call us at Advanced Vein Care Center if you have any questions.

Contact Us

Do you still have questions pertaining to venous stasis treatment? Then give our informed Springfield, MA office staff a call and we will address your queries. We can be reached by phone at 413.732.4242 or use the form below.