1] IF YOU HAVE ULCERS - this was thought to be due to DEEP vein reflux - and as this cannot be cured surgically, the patient was advised to have regular dressings and tight bandages to reduce the back flow of blood falling down the deep veins.
2] IF YOU HAVE VARICOSE VEINS - these were thought to be cosmetic only, and were thought to always come back even if treated. Patients were therefore told they could have them removed by surgeons - but there was little point in doing so unless they were painful or causing a problem.
HOWEVER - in the 1980's a new test called Duplex Ultrasound showed us that this simplistic way of thinking about veins was WRONG. |