Pelvic Congestion Syndrome
Apex Vascular & Interventional Physicians
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome Specialists
Who Can Get It?
- As much as 15 % of women generally between 20 to 50 years of age have dilated veins in the pelvis, but not all women experience pain
- Many women will start to notice the pain after having children and will worsen with menstrual cycles
- It is often missed on pelvic exams because the veins no longer bulge like they do when a woman is standing
Symptoms
- Dull ache or fullness
- Worsened pain with prolonged sitting or standing and pregnancy
- Relieved when supine
- Pain with or after sex
- Vulvar and Vaginal varicosities
- Pain with menstruation
- Progressive hip pain
- Thigh varicosities
Risk Factors
- Personal of family history of varicose veins
- Hormone imbalances
- Multiple pregnancies
Diagnosis
- One of our physicians will begin the process by taking a complete medical history and performing a thorough physical exam
- If your symptoms are consistent with pelvic venous disease, Imaging will be performed with ultrasound or CT venogram to assess for abnormal veins in the pelvis and to exclude other cause of chronic pelvic pain
Treatment
Ovarian vein embolization is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat pelvic congestion syndrome, a condition characterized by chronic pelvic pain often associated with enlarged or varicose ovarian veins. During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into the affected ovarian vein, and small particles or coils are injected to block blood flow, alleviating symptoms by reducing venous congestion in the pelvic region.
Ovarian Vein Embolization
- A minimaly invasive procedure where the doctor places a small tube into the dilated veins causing your pain and then closing them off
- Requires only a tiny nick in the skin which means less scarring and pain
- You get to go home the same day and are typically back to usual activities within a few days
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