Knock, Knock Thelma... where'd ya get those sexy support hose?

February 14, 2007 9:58 PM

I'm a reasonably active 28 year old male who has long suffered from a couple of disorders normally seen in the elderly: venous insufficiency and leg ulcers. Now the nurse practitioner I see has suggested I find a surgeon in Charlotte, NC as the only vein surgeon in Albemarle doesn't take my insurance. I'll have to find and evaluate a vein surgeon on my own... how do I go about doing that?

Basically the valves in my leg don't pump the blood back to the heart and it sits and pools in my foot and ankle. This results in a severely swollen leg, a painful time walking, and a very irritable aristan. This has lead to a leg ulcer that at one point was the size of my fist. Now, thanks to the nurses and compression therapy (Unna Boots & Thelma Harper-like Stockings), It's currently smaller than the tip of my little finger and my leg is now three inches smaller around.

The problem is that this is treating the symptoms of the problem and not the actual problem itself. Constant compression therapy and the whole "keep your legs elevated at all times" are fine if you're 88... but when you're a 28 year old who works full time, is a full time student, and loves to jog & play DDR... it is impractical.

I've lived with these problems for over 10 years now and have had one surgery to apply skin grafts that caused me to spend 2 weeks in the hospital after I suffered DVT and a blood clot lodged in my lung. (No one can figure out why my previous doctor and the surgeon skipped over any type of compression therapy at the time.)

Needless to say, I'm very scared to have another surgery and more worried about selecting a surgeon on my own. Most vein surgeons I have found in the Charlotte, NC area seem to be plastic surgeons, willing to strip my varicose veins and shoot me full of botox... I need someone to fix the hole in my leg!

posted by aristan to health & fitness (6 comments total)

I can't help you directly, but have you asked your insurance company for a list of surgeons that do take your insurance? At least that would help narrow down the list a little.
posted by dantodd at 1:29 AM on February 15, 2007

I live in Charlotte... let me call my primary care doc (I trust him a lot) and see who he recommends. Send me your email (mine is in my profile) if you'd prefer I respond offline.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 3:02 AM on February 15, 2007

You (or your nurse practitioner) can call the office of the Albemarle surgeon, explain the situation, and ask for recommendations. If you're armed with the insurance company's list when you do this, you can end up with the names of a couple of good doctors you can afford to see. (I've done this when looking for two specialists of other kinds.) You might also see the Albemarle doctor for just a consultation, and pay for that out of pocket. It's a lot of money for a 10-15 minute conversation, but it could give you a lot more confidence in deciding how to proceed.
posted by wryly at 11:04 AM on February 15, 2007

Make sure the surgeon you select is board certified. (American College of Surgeons, American Board of Surgery)
Ask the NP and surgeon in Ablemarle for a referral.
Does Duke have a medical center in Charlotte? If so, call them and ask for a consult with a surgeon. Many times medical schools will have satellite offices/clinics in outlying areas.
Check with a cardiologist or an endicrinologist (diabetes doctor)--your condition is very commony for people who have heart failure or impaired circulation, and cardiologists and endocrinologists are on these people's healthcare teams. They could potentially have some good referrals for you.
posted by FergieBelle at 5:09 AM on February 16, 2007

Thanks to everyone for your help... I had no idea where to start looking.

Fergie Belle: I do have bad circulation, it's hereditary. My grandfather suffered from the same problem, later in life he had both legs amputated. Fortunately, neither me or my father have had anything that serious happen, though both of us have the circulation problems.

To Fergie Belle & Wryly: Sadly, the doctor & NP in Albemarle are not familiar with the doctors available in Charlotte. They've tasked me with finding an appropriate doctor.
posted by aristan at 10:15 PM on February 17, 2007

Artisan, sorry, hold tight - I sent an email to my doctor through his wife (a friend of mine) - haven't heard back from him but I haven't forgotten you.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:21 PM on February 20, 2007