Over 50 million American women (one-third of the female population) suffer from chronic pelvic pain during their lifetime. A common cause of this pain are varices that develop in their ovarian veins or pelvic areas. These swollen blood vessels are the counterpart of varicose veins, but they are located within the pelvis and thus are not visible during external examinations. As a result, they are often overlooked when a patient complains of pain, and not treated.
Because these varices are internal, diagnosis of them can be tricky, requiring the use of ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), or pelvic venography to locate the abnormal veins. If tests reveal that the source of the patient’s chronic pelvic pain comes from these swollen veins, the resulting condition is called pelvic congestion syndrome also known as chronic pelvic venous disorders. Fortunately, there are several available pelvic pain treatment options in Phoenix.
How are chronic pelvic venous disorders treated at CiC?
Treatment is performed in our state-of-the-art outpatient surgical facilities in Phoenix. The patient is usually awake during the procedure, after the areas being treated have been numbed with a local anesthetic. Then some of the best interventional radiology doctors in Phoenix insert a catheter into a large artery in the groin and guide it into place using X-ray fluoroscopy. A contrast dye may be injected during this procedure to make it easier to see the varices being treated. Finally, an embolizing agent is injected through the catheter to close the abnormal veins, while not affecting healthy tissue in the area.
How do I find out if I’m a candidate for this procedure?
Give one of the top pain management centers in Phoenix a call at 888-377-7122 and schedule a consultation with one of our interventional radiology specialists. They will perform a series of tests to see what the cause of your pelvic pain is, and if it is due to pelvic varices, will explain the treatment procedure to you in more depth. You can also find out more about this procedure and other high-end women’s health procedures we offer by looking through our website at www.ciccenters.com.