Many patients with venous disease develop brown stains on their legs. These brown stains are usually around the ankle and below the calf. Medically, these brown stains are called “haemosiderin“.
Until recently, nothing could be done for these brown stains. Doctors could treat the varicose veins or hidden varicose veins and even cure leg ulcers. However, these brown stains on legs often persist permanently.
A revolutionary new combination treatment has been trialled by Vicki Smith and Mark Whiteley at The Whiteley Clinics.
Over the last few months, Vicki Smith and her research team, have been treating volunteers. Patients who have had successful vein surgery with the Whiteley Protocol, but still have brown stains on their legs have been offered this new treatment.
The treatment combines a skin preparation followed by laser treatment.
As you can see from the pictures, the areas that are treated are considerably lighter. In some cases, they even go back to the original skin colour.
The number of sessions needed depends on the area of the brown stains and how deep the staining is.
The bigger the area, the more sessions would be needed. Also, very dark brown stains need more than one session in each area.
Patients wanting this treatment will undergo a consultation with Vicki Smith or one of her colleagues. At this consultation, treatment will be explained and planned. Pros and cons will be discussed as well as any potential risks.
If varicose veins or “hidden varicose veins” are not treated, they deteriorate with time. Research shows that almost 1 in 20 patients with varicose veins will deteriorate each year. This deterioration is due to inflammation in the tissues around the lower legs.
Initially, this causes aching of the legs or “tired legs”. If patients do not get their varicose veins treated at this stage, they can progress to swelling of the ankles. Further progression of the condition is then red or brown stains on the legs. If the patient still has not had treatment, then these brown stains can lead to leg ulcers. These stages are the basis of the CEAP classification of varicose veins.
At any stage during this deterioration patients can be cured with local anaesthetic endovenous surgery. This is the basis of the Whiteley Protocol. When patients are treated by the Whiteley Protocol, leg ulcers heal, varicose veins disappear, ankle swelling goes and thread veins are treated.
However, until this new technique was developed, there was no effective treatment for brown stains (haemosiderin).
This treatment will be available from January 2019. Patients who have had their varicose veins or leg ulcers cured can now look forward to getting normal skin colour again.
If you would like to book an appointment to see Vicki Smith to have your brown stains treated, please contact the team at The Whiteley Clinics.
The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and are meant to be discussed with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before being acted on. Always seek the advice of a doctor or other licensed health care professional regarding any questions you have about your medical condition(s) and treatment(s). This article and the information provided is not a substitute for medical advice.
Select a suggestion below...