For some women, pelvic pain is caused by a condition known as pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS). Vascular specialists at UT Health like Dr. Jayakumar have expertise in accurately diagnosing and treating PCS.

Symptoms of PCS

Often, symptoms of pelvic congestion syndrome don’t appear until a woman becomes pregnant, and then they continue after the pregnancy. The main symptom of PCS is pelvic pain which typically gets worse as the day goes on, especially for women who sit or stand all day. It usually goes away after a night of sleep.

The pain can also worsen:

   • During or following intercourse

   • Around menstrual periods

   • After certain physical activities

Proper diagnosis is important

Vascular surgeons at UT Health Physicians offer a quick procedure, called a venogram, to accurately diagnose pelvic congestion syndrome. During the procedure, a dye is injected which allows the surgeon to see if any veins are dilated (varicose).

If varicose veins are seen, those vessels are closed off using tiny coils, plugs or other agents that block the flow of blood during a procedure called embolization. This is a minimally-invasive procedure that is performed while the patient is comfortably sedated.

Treatment for pelvic congestion syndrome can include hormonal medications as well as the embolization (a minimally invasive catheter procedure to “plug” varicose veins)

If you have undiagnosed chronic pelvic pain, make an appointment with a vascular specialist at UT Health Physicians at 210-450-9888.