Important Information About How Your Veins Work
Vein Clinic in San Antonio, Texas

Blood is circulated through the body via arteries and veins. Blood is pumped from the heart to the body through arteries which are thick walled and have no valves. Veins on the other hand are quite thin-walled and depend on a system of one way valves and intermittent muscle contractions, especially of the calves, to move blood back to the heart.

In the legs there are deep and superficial veins. Most of the blood returned from the legs, about 90%, flows in the deep veins. Blood near the surface is collected by the superficial veins and is then routed into the deep veins through a complex system of perforating and truncal veins. The direction of flow of blood through these veins is controlled by the one way valves.