Pelvic Vein Disease

Are Your Pelvic Cramps a Sign of Something More Serious?

Pelvic vein disease, or pelvic congestion syndrome, is often under-diagnosed because the symptoms—painful menstrual cycles, low back pain, urination frequency, and achy, heavy pelvis—are common for many women. At Premier Vein & Body by Schwartz, we don’t want you to suffer from an undiagnosed condition.

What is Pelvic Vein Disease?

Pelvic vein disease, often unrecognized as the cause of chronic pelvic pain, develops when the valves in the pelvic veins, frequently the ovarian vein, stop working correctly. Blood flow is impeded or allowed to reflux, or flow backwards, causing uncomfortable varicose veins. Symptoms may include:

• Heaviness in the pelvis, exacerbated by prolonged standing
• Bloating
• Lower back pain
• Visible varicose veins on the buttocks, vulva, and upper thighs
• Painful menstrual cycles
• Increased frequency of urination
• Painful intercourse

Dr. Craig Schwartz diagnoses pelvic vein disease with the venous duplex ultrasound to determine the best course of treatment.

What Treatments are Available for Pelvic Vein Disease?

In some cases, hormone therapy can improve symptoms, but may not entirely resolve the underlying cause—the faulty valves. Vein embolization is one of the most effective treatments. During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into the abnormal pelvic veins and a small metal coil containing a sclerosing agent is inserted to block blood flow to the faulty veins. This prevents reverse blood flow to reduce the pressure on the enlarged veins. The ovarian vein is most commonly the culprit, but other veins, such as the internal iliac vein, internal pudendal vein, or obturator and ischial veins may be the source of the problem.