How Venous Mapping Can Investigate Leg Pain

Diagnosing persistent leg pain involves testing the health and function of blood vessels in the lower half of the body. That’s because poor blood flow is often the culprit with leg pain, swelling, and other uncomfortable symptoms.

At Chinatown Cardiology, with multiple New York City locations, we specialize in advanced diagnostic testing, including venous mapping. With this procedure, our cardiology team can identify the source of your leg pain and recommend treatments to relieve it.

An overview of venous mapping

Venous mapping is a noninvasive diagnostic tool to identify and measure the veins in your lower and upper extremities. This test can help diagnose conditions like venous insufficiency or a thrombus (blockage) in one of your blood vessels.

The goals of venous mapping are to measure the diameter of specific veins and to evaluate the efficiency of blood flowing through the vessel.

Venous mapping may be part of diagnostic testing for symptoms that affect your lower extremities, including:

Pain
Cramping
Heaviness
Itching
Varicose veins
Skin discoloration

We may also recommend venous mapping if you have slow-to-heal or nonhealing ulcers in your legs or feet due to venous insufficiency.

Understanding the venous mapping procedure

Venous mapping uses ultrasound technology to assess blood flow in your lower extremities. We take pictures of your veins and arteries to create a map of your blood vessels.

As you lie on an exam table, a technologist applies a hand-held transducer against your arms or legs. During venous mapping, the ultrasound technology delivers high-frequency sound waves through your skin that bounce off the inner tissues and vessels to generate real-time images of your veins.

Our team uses these images to assess how well blood flows and locate vessel blockages.

Venous mapping requires no incisions or other invasive procedures and provides instant diagnostic results. After your procedure, you can expect to go back to your usual activities without limitations.

How venous mapping supports your treatment plan

If you undergo venous mapping and our cardiologists identify a blockage or venous insufficiency, we discuss your options for treatment.

If a thrombus is found, your doctor will advise you on what needs to be done and/or which medications to take.

If venous reflux is noted, your doctor will evaluate the best treatment option for you. We offer a variety of minimally invasive endovenous closure procedures that will treat troubled veins. Venefit™ ablation therapy uses radiofrequency energy to close off and collapse diseased or damaged superficial veins. Varithena ® is a microfoam solution that is injected into the troubled vein to close off the vein. With both treatment options, blood flows to healthier veins nearby to improve blood flow in the lower extremities.

Our providers also value the importance of education to prevent repeated episodes of leg pain, swelling, and other symptoms. We might recommend specific exercises to improve blood circulation in your lower extremities.

Also, dietary changes can boost your circulatory health and lower your risk of blood vessel blockages.

Contact the Chinatown Cardiology office near you to learn more about the diagnostic benefits of venous mapping. Call or request an appointment online today.