These raised blue veins are a network of veins on the upper surface of the leg that are connected to a system of thicker and larger veins located within the leg and thigh. The network of veins located on the upper surface collects impure blood from the surface and transports it to the system of large veins located deep in the leg, from where all the impure blood is collected and transported to the heart and lungs for purification. If for some reason the system of thick veins located deep within the leg becomes obstructed, this impure blood accumulates in the surface of the skin instead of flowing inward. Due to the increased amount of impure blood in the venous system located beneath the skin, these blue veins become visible and appear larger above the skin.
Dr. K. K. Pandey is a Senior Consultant in Cardiothoracic, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, with nearly 30 years of surgical experience. He has previously worked at Batra Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi and the Bakulev Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Moscow. Dr. Pandey specializes in thoracic, lung and chest tumour surgery, varicose veins, vascular bypass procedures and diabetic foot management, using both open and minimally invasive techniques. A surgeon, writer and health educator, he regularly writes columns and books to make complex medical topics easy for the general public, believing that medical knowledge must reach every common person.