Who is a phlebologist? What does this doctor treat? Not everyone has heard of such a mysterious medical profession. People usually learn about her only after they are diagnosed with the competence of such a specialist and sent for treatment directly to him. Despite the fact that phlebological diseases are not uncommon, it is very difficult to find doctors of this specialization in a regular clinic.
What is phlebology and who is phlebologist?
Phlebology is a medical section that studies not only the functions and structure of veins, but also develops methods for the treatment of venous diseases, their diagnosis and preventive measures. This is a special direction in vascular surgery, which mainly specializes in veins located in the lower extremities. In recent years, phlebology has been developing with particular intensity. The fact is that the modern rhythm of life, ecology, stress, bad habits, and overwork often cause an exacerbation of many diseases, including vascular diseases. Just a few decades ago, some of them were not even known. New diagnostic methods and a thorough study have given more opportunities to doctors, including a phlebologist. What is the treatment of this unknown doctor? This is a specialist who is engaged in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of vascular diseases of the lower extremities.
History of Phlebology
The existence of vein diseases has been known since ancient Egypt. Repeatedly, researchers noticed external signs of varicose veins when examining excavated mummies. In addition, there was evidence that the Egyptians were developing methods of treating this pathology. Also, confirmations of its existence were recorded in the works of ancient medical scientists of Hippocrates and Avicenna.
Trendelenburg managed to find the cause of varicose veins only in the 19th century. According to his observations, this deviation is due to a violation of blood circulation in the veins. In a healthy person, the process occurs in such a way that blood flows from the saphenous veins to the femoral. In the case of pathology, a reverse outflow occurs, due to which the veins overflow, and varicose expansion forms. Then the only effective solution to the problem was proposed - the removal of a large saphenous vein, its intersection or ligation. At the beginning of the 20th century, several such surgical interventions were performed, but not all of them ended positively. Gradually, doctors were able to develop techniques to minimize the morbidity of operations.
When the x-ray machine appeared, doctors gained more opportunities to investigate venous diseases. To do this, a contrast agent was introduced into them and a picture was taken, which assessed the complexity, nature and specific location of the disease. An important role in the study of phlebological abnormalities belongs to domestic doctors: Reinberg, Askerkhanov, Filatov, Krakovsky and Bakulev.
A little later in medical practice an innovative diagnostic method appeared, which everyone knows under the name of ultrasound. Thanks to him, it became possible to study not only the pathology itself, but also the general topography of the patients' vessels, including recording the speed and direction of blood flow in the veins. This diagnosis significantly reduced the number of operations that were replaced by pharmacological and more conservative treatment. It is called sclerotherapy and consists in the internal action on the vessels through special medicines
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The most common vascular disease
So, we figured out who the phlebologist is. What does this specialist specifically treat? The most common vein diseases include varicose veins, thrombophlebitis and spider veins. It is with such pathologies that one most often comes across in practice. Phlebologists with trophic ulcers, phlebopathy and venous insufficiency are a little less likely.
Symptoms of leg vein disease
When is an appeal to a phlebologist necessary?
Treatment of varicose veins, treatment of thrombophlebitis is his main specialization. But it is better not to wait for the development of the pathology and complications associated with it. Having noticed the first symptoms, it is necessary to consult a doctor to prevent the development of a chronic disease. The signs that should alert patients are not always obvious, and many do not take them seriously enough, starting the disease and thereby complicating its further elimination.
Noticing the protruding veins on the legs of a crimson or blue hue, dark pigmentation on the skin in the region of the ankles or lower legs, sores in the joints, you should immediately visit a specialist. Less suspicious symptoms, such as pain, swelling, or recurring leg cramps, should also not be attributed to fatigue or over-exertion. They may indicate impending serious problems.
Modern diagnostics
Diagnosis of the condition of the veins necessarily includes ultrasound dopplerography or angioscanning. If necessary, you will also need to undergo a duplex vein scan, phlebography or phlebomanometry. At the appointment, the doctor will certainly palpate the affected areas and examine the visible nature of the pathological changes. There are also several tests to be done. Which ones are needed is determined by the attending physician. In vascular diseases, partial thromboplastic or thrombin time, blood coagulation rate, fibrinogen, prothrombin index and others can be checked.
Foot vessels treatment
How and what a phlebologist treats, probably interested in people who are faced with pathological abnormalities associated with veins. For treatment, modern medicine can offer conservative and surgical methods. It is possible that for this reason many do not know exactly who is able to help them: a phlebologist or a surgeon, which doctor treats varicose veins and thrombophlebitis.
Conservative methods include medication, compression, sclerotherapy and herbal medicine. Surgical intervention is required in cases where therapeutic measures can not cope with the disease. Then the surgeons perform a phlebbetomy, remove the trunk of a large vein under the skin, eliminate the reflux of blood, or resort to plasty of deep veins. Varicose disease has several stages of development, which determines the speed and complexity of treatment.
Sclerotherapy in the treatment of venous diseases in the first stage
At the initial stage, the disease affects only small vessels, not spreading to the trunk trunks. In such a situation, the doctor is likely to insist on sclerotherapy. It has several varieties. So, to remove stars on the legs and small veins, microsclerotherapy is used. It consists in the introduction into the veins with the help of thin needles of a special substance - sclerosant.
During microfoam sclerotherapy, the same substance is introduced in the form of foam. This method is effective even in the treatment of pathologies of thick veins and the presence of varicose nodes. Ozone sclerotherapy involves the use of an ozone-oxygen mixture that helps eliminate telangiostases. Small vessels and sprockets can be removed by using coagulation - thermal or laser. The latter is used even if necessary to remove blood vessels on the face and other parts of the body.
Phlebectomy as a method of treating vein diseases in the second stage
This option is recommended by a phlebologist in Kiev or any other city to patients with the second stage of the disease. It differs from the first progressive destruction of the valvular apparatus of the veins, which are trunk and are located under the skin. Classical phlebectomy is performed stationary under general anesthesia. Its essence is to remove damaged veins through incisions in the inguinal region and at the very bottom of the leg. Sometimes it is possible to avoid such an intervention by replacing it with radio frequency obliteration, laser coagulation or Varadi miniflebectomy.
Treatment of veins in the third stage of the disease
The relevance of a particular treatment is determined by a phlebologist. What treats and what technique does the specialist usually recommend at the third stage of varicose veins? It is accompanied by a violation of venous blood flow, due to which trophic ulcers on the legs are formed. They can have different sizes and depths, which directly depends on the patient. The longer he put off a visit to a specialist, the more complicated the pathological changes.
Also, negligence of other doctors often leads to the third stage, to which the patient addressed earlier, but did not receive effective treatment, having lost valuable time. Many phlebologists try to resort to conservative treatment and waiting tactics. This is necessary in order to heal the ulcers a bit, relieve inflammation and reduce their volume. Only after that they begin to operate using a combined phlebectomy.
Prevention of vascular diseases of the legs
For preventive purposes, people prone to lower limb vascular disease are advised to reduce the load on their legs. If possible, do homework in a sitting position. During rest, use a roller from a blanket or pillow, placed under straight legs. Not always, of course, but several times a day such breaks of 15 minutes must be made. You will certainly need to exclude hot baths and forget about the Russian bath and Finnish sauna. It is better to pour cold water on your feet at least once a day. If there is excess weight, it is very advisable to urgently say goodbye to him. It is also necessary to avoid lifting weights, wearing too tight clothing and uncomfortable shoes. It is worth looking for special tights or stockings that are designed to fix the vessels and reduce the load on them.
At the workplace, you need to sit straight, keeping your back straight, without throwing your foot on the foot. The most optimal option is to use a low footrest or put them on the crossbar under the table, if any. Avoid swelling of the muscles, change the position of the legs from time to time, move them, rotate your feet and get up from your chair at least once every half an hour to walk a little and stretch. On vacation, it is recommended to go to the sea. There, try to walk barefoot more on grass, pebbles or sand. If you have varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, venous insufficiency, ulcers, tanning is strictly contraindicated. More shadow, less sun - now this is your law. And get a cream or gel that strengthens your veins for daily use.
Visit to a phlebologist
In order for the treatment to bring immediate results, to be as sparing and effective as possible, the choice of a specialist is very important. Since it is almost impossible to find it in a regular state clinic, a personal phlebologist is required. A good phlebologist should be not only a theorist and therapist, but also a practicing surgeon. A competent consultation is the first step on the road to recovery.
What should a phlebologist be able to do? What this doctor is treating has already been figured out, but how he does it, you also need to know. It is known that all organs in the human body are interconnected, because any disease can not be limited to treating only one of them, but should be complex. So, in case of vascular diseases, not only the venous system, but also others are hit. In addition, the effectiveness of treatment to a greater extent does not consist in eliminating the consequences and manifestations, but also the reasons why the failure occurred. It is very important to trace this connection, find the focus of the problem and eliminate it as soon as possible and painlessly.
Most specialists in this area are vascular surgeons. Now that you already know a specialist phlebologist (who this is and what heals, we wrote above), you need to learn in detail about the techniques that a particular doctor uses in his practice. Therefore, it is better to immediately inquire about this at the reception, to clarify by what principles treatment will be carried out, classic or surgical. Or maybe he perfectly owns other innovative methods of treating varicose veins or uses unconventional, experimental techniques of foreign colleagues. In any case, this can only be determined after a thorough diagnosis, taking into account the individuality of a particular case.
Myths of traditional medicine
Everyone needs to know who the phlebologist is, what heals and with what methods, so that in case of problems with leg veins, contact the address without wasting time on useless wanderings in the offices of state clinics. It is worth remembering the seriousness of this problem and in no case do self-medication, and especially not use dubious folk remedies. There are many misconceptions regarding methods of combating diseases of the venous system. It is worth dispelling these myths, which have already been seduced by thousands of people, than only harm themselves.
So, vascular diseases of the legs are not treated with hirudotherapy. Leeches thin the blood for a while, because its flow is accelerated. The patient may notice some relief and partial disappearance of the symptoms inherent in venous insufficiency. But this is a temporary phenomenon, because the cause is still not eliminated, and the disease returns again, only in a more severe form.
Do not believe the advertising of supposedly miraculous drugs and the latest devices. If they existed, modern medicine would surely have adopted these methods in order to get rid of the need for surgical operations. But they are still being carried out, and phlebology is in constant search for new effective means to ease the torment of patients and simplify the work of doctors. All achievements are now actively practiced by specialists, and as soon as the next drug or device is invented, it will certainly appear in the arsenal of private clinics.
No cabbage leaf, plantain, infusions and decoctions, and especially urinotherapy, will not help heal diseased vessels, despite the beliefs of adherents of alternative medicine. While a person conducts such experiments on himself, varicose veins develop further, thrombophlebitis progresses, and spider veins on the legs grow. Only a good experienced phlebologist can help eliminate such ailments.