Ulcers tend to occur most often in the elderly, who may have had venous reflux disease for many years.  The ulcer can in some cases become infected, and if that happens, the infection can spread into the bone beneath the skin.  Rarely, this could require amputation of the leg.

Fortunately, by treating the venous reflux disease with the VNUS Closure procedure, the ulcer can often be successfully healed.

Leg ulcers also may be caused by arterial diseases, such as atherosclerosis (a disease of the arteries in which fatty material is deposited in the vessel wall, resulting in narrowing and eventual impairment of blood flow). In these instances, there is usually an association with poor circulation and lack of pulses in the leg, none of which usually occurs with varicose veins.  In addition, ulcers can be the result of unhealed leg injury. Or they can be a complication of diabetes.

If you have an ulcer on your leg, you should seek medical treatment soon.   Your doctor, or one of our doctors at our centers, will be able to determine the cause of your ulcer, and recommend appropriate treatment options.