Five Star Vein and Wellness Blog

Last week we discussed how atherosclerosis results in organ damage or death. This is something we all want to avoid. Unfortunately, the medical profession is guilty of putting forth inaccurate information regarding our diet. One evidence that this has been done is the fact that heart disease, secondary to atherosclerosis, is still the number one killer in the US, just as it was when I was doing my Vascular Fellowship in 1979.

Most disease states do not stand alone. What this statement means is that there are usually other illnesses, or symptoms or signs of other illnesses that are present when one considers a given health problem. For example, people with congestive heart failure may have chronic fatigue, difficulty with breathing, or kidney dysfunction. These entities could be called co-morbid factors of congestive heart failure.

As we discussed in Part 1 of our discussion on leg ulcers, which you can access here, there are two types that are caused by leg ulcers. We’ve already talked about arterial leg and foot ulcers in Part 1 and today, we will discuss venous ulcers.

Like many circulatory illnesses, peripheral artery disease (PAD) can manifest many confusing symptoms and side effects. As with risk factors for other venous disease, the risk factors for PAD are highly variable, and numerous diagnostic methods must be employed to help doctors understand exactly what’s going on in each case.

Have you ever wondered or even thought about this question? Most of our lives we are in an upright position, either standing or sitting.

The downside to the proposed new system [see previous articles] is people without insurance or ready cash would not be able to choose where they went for their care. However, THEY WOULD GET CARE, and expert care at that. Again, POOR PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A PLACE TO GO FOR EXPERT CARE, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD NOT PAY FOR IT.

The first principle of the proposed new policy would be that NO ONE WOULD BE DENIED COVERAGE, regardless of their insurance or monetary status. Here is how it would work.

First of all, I want to make one thing clear. In my 44 years as a physician plus 4 more as a medical student I have NEVER seen a doctor turn ANYONE down in times of an emergency or a serious illness, REGARDLESS of the patient’s insurance status. The bickering, finger-pointing, and accusations to the contrary that have occurred on both sides of the political aisle in recent years continue to astound me. NOBODY has been denied urgent care and I seriously doubt if ANY doctor would do so.

This will require more than one article- health care is a big subject. Before we come to a conclusion of how to repair the current system and show the reasons why this plan is fair and will work, I have to establish some “street cred” so that readers will understand that I am proposing the solution because I have the experience to state that this proposal will be significantly better than the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as “Obamacare”. To read the entire law click here.

This is the last in our most resent series of often asked questions regarding treatment of veins. View Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 that have published previously.