CEDAR RAPIDS — Rebecca Utterback had no idea that the heavy sensation in her legs could mean she had a health condition.

“I didn’t know it was a symptom because it’s something I’ve always lived with,” the 37-year-old Cedar Rapids woman said.

But when a vein “popped out” behind her left knee, Utterback sought help.

“My main reason was because it was ugly — it was like a blue rope going down my leg,” said Utterback, a substitute school health secretary. “I didn’t realize there were all these other things going on.”

Utterback was diagnosed with varicose veins caused by venous insufficiency, a condition affecting at least 25 million Americans, according to the Vascular Disease Foundation.

Although common, varicose veins — twisted, bulging veins visible just beneath the skin’s surface — can lead to serious health problems, including blood clots and skin ulcers.

Valves in normal-functioning veins keep blood from flowing backward. With venous insufficiency, blood flow toward the heart is blocked or leaks backward through damaged valves.

Dr. David Lawrence inserts a needle into the patients leg while ultrasound tech Abbey Greene takes an ultrasound and RN Julie Kuehner watches, Thursday November 4, 2010, at Physicians' Clinic of Iowa at 830 Fourth Ave. SE. in Cedar Rapids. The new catheter method for varicose veins is much less invasive then previous procedures for the condition. (Becky Malewitz/ SourceMedia Group News)

Dr. David Lawrence, of Cedar Rapids-based Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa, said newer technologies offer alternatives to vein stripping, the surgical removal of the vein through the groin that previously was standard treatment.

That surgery was expensive, time-consuming and more painful than the less invasive procedures available now, he said.

One of the methods offered by Lawrence and others is called the VNUS Closure Procedure.

In it, a fine tube, or catheter, is inserted near the knee and threaded through the long saphenous vein. The catheter is heated to seal the walls of the vein so blood cannot flow through it.

Lawrence said closing off the saphenous vein — a superficial vein — usually takes care of other problem veins.

Clinical trials showed patients had less pain and bruising and fewer complications. Patients typically can return to work the same day, giving the procedure the nickname “lunch break” surgery.

Utterback, who underwent the procedure earlier this month, said she could feel nothing other than the needle stick of the numbing medication.

Other sites also offer VNUS procedures, including Cardiologists L.C. in Cedar Rapids and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

One of the treatments offered by Cedar Rapids-based Radiology Consultants of Iowa is VenaCure EVLT, a non-surgical method using a diode laser fiber to close the vein.

The newer procedures are done on an outpatient basis, usually under an hour.

Varicose veins are a problem for both women and men, though more women generally have the procedures performed. Pregnancy and age are among factors in developing the condition.

Dr. Rachael Nicholson of the UI Heart and Vascular Center participated in a seminar last month about venous disease that attracted more than 100 people. The UI center offers screenings to help detect vascular disease early, spokesman Tom Moore said.

Lawrence said when performed for medical purposes, the procedures are generally covered by insurance. Each VNUS treatment costs about $2,500, he said.

Insurance companies often have patients first use compression stockings, which can reduce symptoms of varicose veins, such as leg swelling, but do not treat the underlying problem.

Utterback said she felt some tenderness in her leg after the procedure, but otherwise noticed an improvement.

“My leg felt lighter,” she said.

FYI

You can’t do anything about heredity, age and gender, all factors in developing varicose veins.

But following are ways to delay that development or keep varicose veins from progressing:

■ Be active. Moving leg muscles keeps the blood flowing.

■ Keep your blood pressure under control.

■ To temporarily relieve symptoms, lie down and raise your legs at least six inches above the level of your heart. Do this for ten minutes a few times each day.

■ Strive for a normal weight.

■ Wear prescription compression stockings as directed by your doctor.

■ See a qualified doctor who can diagnose the cause of your varicose veins and offer treatment options.

Source: Vascular Disease Foundation