Vein Health Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the medical words you'll hear about veins, vein conditions and vein treatments — from ablation to venous ulcer.
A
- Ablation (endovenous ablation)
- Treatment that closes a leaking vein from the inside using heat (radiofrequency or laser). The body then reroutes blood through healthy veins.
- Anticoagulant
- A "blood thinner" medicine that lowers the risk of clots forming or growing. Used to treat deep vein thrombosis.
C
- Calf muscle pump
- The squeezing action of the calf muscles on the deep veins when you walk, which pushes blood back up towards the heart.
- CEAP classification
- The international system doctors use to grade vein disease from C0 (no visible signs) to C6 (active venous ulcer). C2 means varicose veins; C3 means swelling; C4 means skin changes.
- Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
- Long-term poor blood return from the legs, usually because of faulty valves, causing swelling, skin changes and sometimes ulcers.
- ClariVein
- A non-thermal treatment that closes a vein using a rotating wire tip combined with a sclerosant medicine.
- Compression stockings
- Elastic stockings that apply graduated pressure — strongest at the ankle — to help blood flow up the leg. Strength is measured in mmHg.
D
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- A blood clot in one of the deep veins, usually in the leg. It needs urgent medical attention because part of the clot can travel to the lungs.
- Duplex ultrasound
- A painless scan that shows both the structure of the veins and the direction of blood flow. It is the main test for diagnosing venous reflux.
E
- EVLA (endovenous laser ablation)
- Ablation using laser energy delivered through a thin fibre inside the vein.
G
- Great saphenous vein (GSV)
- The longest surface vein in the body, running from the inner ankle up the inner leg to the groin. A common source of varicose veins.
L
- Lipodermatosclerosis
- Hardening, tightening and darkening of the skin and fat above the ankle, caused by long-standing high vein pressure.
M
- May-Thurner syndrome
- Compression of the left iliac vein in the pelvis by the artery crossing over it, which can cause left leg swelling or clots.
- MediSave
- Singapore's national medical savings scheme under the CPF. It can be used for approved medically necessary procedures, subject to withdrawal limits.
- Mini-phlebectomy (ambulatory phlebectomy)
- Removal of bulging surface veins through tiny skin nicks, usually under local anaesthetic.
P
- Pelvic congestion syndrome
- Chronic pelvic pain linked to enlarged, leaking veins in the pelvis. It can be associated with varicose veins on the vulva, buttocks or thighs.
- Perforator veins
- Short veins that connect the surface veins to the deep veins through the muscle.
- Pulmonary embolism (PE)
- A blood clot that has travelled to the lungs. Symptoms include sudden breathlessness and chest pain — a medical emergency.
R
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Ablation using radiofrequency energy delivered through a thin catheter to heat and seal the vein.
- Reflux (venous reflux)
- Blood flowing backwards down a vein because its valves don't close properly. The main cause of varicose veins.
S
- Sclerotherapy
- Injection of a medicine (liquid or foam) into a vein that irritates its lining so it closes and fades over time. Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy treats larger veins.
- Small saphenous vein (SSV)
- A surface vein running up the back of the calf to behind the knee.
- Spider veins (telangiectasia)
- Tiny red, blue or purple veins less than 1 mm across, close to the skin surface.
- Superficial thrombophlebitis
- Inflammation and clotting in a surface vein, causing a tender, red, firm cord under the skin.
T
- TOSP code
- The code from Singapore's Table of Surgical Procedures that classifies a procedure and determines its MediSave withdrawal limit.
V
- Varicose veins
- Enlarged, twisted surface veins, usually 3 mm or more across, caused by venous reflux.
- VenaSeal
- A non-thermal treatment that closes a vein using a small amount of medical-grade adhesive.
- Venous ulcer
- An open wound, usually above the inner ankle, caused by long-standing high vein pressure. The most advanced stage of chronic venous disease (CEAP C6).
- VeinGogh
- A device that uses a very fine probe and high-frequency energy (ohmic thermolysis) to treat tiny spider veins on the legs and face.