A new doctors body namely Venous Association of India (VAI) was formed on Sunday in view of the alarming increase in the number of venous diseases in the country over the last few years. A team of specialist doctors treating common venous diseases across the country took the initiative to launch the body.
The Association was formed at a conference, VAICON 2008, organized the doctors treating venous diseases. Dr Saravanan Sunderaraj, the secretary of the Association said doctors from various specialties like vascular surgeons, rheumatologists, and orthopaedic surgeons, pulmonologists, intensivists, general physicians and general surgeons can also become members of the new association.
Key objectives of the Venous Association of India are promotion of research and study of venous diseases, to help facilitate the active continuing education of its members, to improve understanding about the prevention, investigation, and treatment of the diseases and to encourage the development and dissemination of information about it.
The conference, in which more than 150 specialist doctors from India and abroad participated, was aimed at updating the knowledge of the doctors in the field and for creating awareness among the public about venous diseases and other complications.
If the disease is not treated on time it may cause even for death, said Dr Kalanidhi, director of Tamil Nadu Medical Education, while inaugurating the function.
The main problems that affect the veins include inflammation, clotting, and defects that lead to distention and varicose veins. The veins in the legs are particularly affected because when a person is standing, blood must flow upward from the leg veins, against gravity, to reach the heart, he said.
According to Dr Malay D Patel, president of the VAI, the common venous diseases being found in India are Varicose Veins, Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT), Chronic Venous Insufficiency and Pulmonary embolism.
"There are several recent developments in the treatment of various veins like Endovenous Thermal Ablation and Ultrasound guided Foam Sclerotherapy.
However, the most dreaded complication of the disease is pulmonary embolism, which if not properly treated, could be fatal", the VAI president told Pharmabiz.
If the vein walls are weak and damaged, or if the valve is stretched or injured, the system becomes incompetent and blood is allowed to collect and flow in a retrograde fashion when the muscles relax. This creates unusually high-pressure buildup in the veins, resulting in more stretching and twisting, increased swelling, more valve incompetence, sluggish blood flow, and potential blood clot formation. Over time, these phenomena contribute to a variety of disorders, explained Dr Ted King, National Assistant Medical director, Vein Clinics of America.