WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BLOOD CONTAINED IN THE VEINS CANNOT FLOW TO THE HEART?
There is always an interconnection with other veins that are not affected by the valvular incompetence and that drain into different paths. However, this substitute mechanism constitutes a circulatory overload. This is because part of the return flow that escapes into neighbouring territories due to valvular incompetence has to be re-collected by other connections in the competent territory, a process that keeps occurring throughout the damaged vessels.
When the failure of the valves affect larger veins, such as the saphenous vein, this parasite circuit contains a larger volume of blood. This means that litres and litres of blood circulating throughout the body every day in a more or less stagnated way must be carried back to the heart. This stagnation of blood is what causes the blotting sensation in the legs and other symptoms characteristics of venous insufficiency usually reported by patients afflicted with the condition.