Vascular conditions Dr Desmond Ooi treats

Bulging veins, leg pain and slow-healing wounds can be signs of vascular conditions

Find your concern below, with the vascular conditions grouped by veins, arteries, wounds and the kidney. Some vascular diseases, such as an aortic aneurysm, often cause no symptoms and are found on a scan or check-up for something else.

An adult seated on a clinic couch, one calf with a raised, twisting varicose vein

Veins

Vascular conditions of the veins, from varicose veins and leg ulcers to blood clots

Brown, discoloured skin just above the ankle

01 Varicose veins Veins under the skin of the legs become swollen and twisted when weak valves let blood pool. 02 Venous leg ulcers Open sores near the inside of the ankle can form when damaged leg veins let blood pool, and they can take months to heal. 03 Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) A blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg, and part of it can break away and travel to the lungs. 04 May-Thurner syndrome An artery presses on the main vein that drains the left leg, which can cause swelling, pain or blood clots.

Arteries and aorta

Vascular conditions of the arteries and aorta, from narrowed leg arteries to aneurysms

A person stopped on a park path, standing still and holding their calf

Drawing of the aorta from the heart to the belly, with one widened section below the kidneys

01 Peripheral arterial disease Fatty build-up narrows the leg arteries, which can cause pain or cramping in the legs when walking. 02 Abdominal aortic aneurysm A section of the aorta, the largest artery in the abdomen, has a weak wall that bulges, often without any symptoms. 03 Thoracic aortic aneurysm A section of the aorta, the main artery from the heart, has a weak wall that bulges where it runs through the chest. 04 Aortic dissection A tear forms in the inner layer of the aorta, often with sudden, tearing chest or back pain; call 995 at once. 05 Carotid artery stenosis A section of the carotid artery in the neck has narrowed.

Wounds and feet

Wound and foot conditions, from diabetic foot ulcers to wounds that will not heal

A dressing just above the inner ankle, with red, swollen skin spreading around it

01 Diabetic foot wound An open sore on the foot of a person with diabetes can be slow to heal, because of nerve damage and poor blood flow. 02 Non-healing wound A wound on the leg or foot that struggles to heal on its own is also called a chronic wound. 03 Cellulitis Cellulitis is an infection that can follow when bacteria enter the skin of the leg through a small wound.

Kidney

Dialysis access for kidney failure, made by joining an artery to a vein

A raised dialysis fistula vein on the inner forearm, running up from a healed scar near the wrist

01 Dialysis access The connection, often in the arm, gives the dialysis machine a reliable way into the bloodstream at each session.

All treatments Costs and insurance Clinic locations

Start with a question

If you are unsure whether you need to be seen, message the clinic.

You can ask before you arrange anything.

Family members can also message on a patient's behalf.