THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS

Varicose veins can be seen by naked eye and large and bulged ones can be palpated. However, varicose veins are not vessels that have damaged valves. The underlying cause of the disease – veins with damaged valves – cannot be seen by naked eye or cannot be palpated. Patient will need Doppler ultrasound test to identify the damaged vessel that results in varicose formation. Doppler ultrasound test should be a done by a radiologist who is experienced in varicose veins in order to make correct diagnosis and increase success rate of treatment. In our country, a large group of patients with varicose veins are condemned to unsuccessful treatments due to incorrect or deficient diagnosis. An inevitable component of full recovery is that treatment and follow-up should be supervised by the physician who makes the diagnosis and plans the treatment. The treatment can be soundly managed only with this approach.

Moreover, Doppler ultrasound tests should be repeated in follow-up period in order to increase success rate after ultrasound-guided Endovenous Laser Ablation and to prevent recurrences.

The radiologist who does the Doppler test to diagnose the condition should also be able to perform non-operative treatment of the varicose vein disease. A common mistake in diagnosing the condition is to do Doppler test while patient is lying rather than standing upright. If the test is not done at standing position, The Doppler test will be insufficient and incorrect diagnoses are likely. Here, the point is to plan treatment while the condition is diagnosed and details of the test are tailored to the treatment.

Based on all these facts, a very important success criterion adopted by international authorities is that the physician, who diagnoses the condition based on a Doppler ultrasound test, should also treat the condition with Doppler ultrasound-guided Endovenous Laser Ablation.

In conclusion, Doppler ultrasound test should be a done by a radiologist who is experienced in varicose veins in order to make correct diagnosis and increase success rate of treatment. If you are referred to a doctor, who is not actually making the diagnosis using Doppler test, for Endovenous Laser Ablation in the healthcare facility, where you present for treatment of the condition, you may not be at the correct healthcare facility for Doppler ultrasound-guided Endovenous Laser Ablation.

The optimal approach in treatment of varicose veins is that treatment and follow-up are supervised by the same physician. Recently, Interventional Radiologists are the only group of physicians who are specialized to do those three duties.

In our Department of Radiology, our team experienced in varicose vein disease and anatomy, variations and physiology of veins as well as Doppler Ultrasound test will personally identify and mark veins with damaged valves and thus, your veins are mapped. All damaged varicose veins are treated with Doppler guidance. The underlying factor of our successful outcomes is the ability to provide patients with combination of professional knowledge and technology.