For years, Adriana Veljanovski from Flinders lived in a state of constant, debilitating agony. Smiling through children's birthday parties while secretly doubled over in pain, she became accustomed to carrying a hot water bottle everywhere. Despite seeking help from numerous doctors, the 45-year-old was repeatedly told nothing could be done, with some suggesting the excruciating pelvic pain she'd endured since childhood was simply 'in her mind'.
A Lifelong Struggle for Answers
Ms Veljanovski's story is tragically common. She recalls being unable to run or climb stairs like her peers, plagued by leg discolouration, swelling, and shortness of breath. The pain escalated in her late twenties to a relentless, 24-hour ordeal. "I've called ambulances because the pain was so intense," she said, only to be told it might be 'just your periods'. The turning point came from a perceptive GP who, after a thorough review of her records, suggested May-Thurner Syndrome.
This condition, also known as iliac vein compression, meant the major vein carrying blood from her left leg to her heart was completely closed. Her body had been forced to create new vessels to compensate, leading to blood pooling and internal bleeding. At age 37, she was finally referred to pioneering Wollongong vascular surgeon, Associate Professor Laurencia Villalba.
A Simple Procedure with 'Astounding' Results
The treatment Ms Veljanovski received was a minimally invasive stent procedure, similar to those used in cardiac surgery. Now, a new study co-authored by Dr Villalba and University of Wollongong colleague Associate Professor Theresa Larkin confirms its remarkable success. Their research, published in 2025, followed 113 women aged 17 to 88 who underwent the procedure. Some had suffered for up to 25 years, with an average of seven years of pain.
The findings are clear: the procedure provided significant and sustained relief for close to 100 per cent of patients. "Women who once struggled to sit, work, exercise, have intercourse, who experienced immense pain on a daily basis, have been given back their lives and their freedom," Dr Villalba said. The team has monitored patients for nearly a decade, observing long-term benefits with pain not returning.
Chronic pelvic pain affects up to a quarter of women of reproductive age and nearly half of all Australian women at some point. Dr Villalba's speciality, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome—varicose veins in the pelvis—is now recognised as a major contributor, potentially accounting for a third of chronic cases.
Ending the Silence and Misdiagnosis
Kasey, a Wollongong woman in her 40s, shares a similar journey. For two years, excruciating pain rendered her unable to sit or stand comfortably. She was dismissed by GPs and specialists, given Panadol, and told it was endometriosis or 'all in her head'. "The pain was excruciating all down in my pelvic area. It was debilitating," she recalled.
Finally, a GP recommended an internal ultrasound during a symptom flare-up, revealing a nearly completely compressed left iliac vein—May-Thurner Syndrome. This explained her chronic lethargy and exhaustion. After Dr Villalba's surgery, her life transformed. "I remember waking up from the surgery and immediately saying, 'Oh my God, I can breathe, the pain is gone'," Kasey said.
Dr Villalba emphasises a critical issue: the widespread misconception that pelvic pain is normal. "It is extremely common, but that does not mean it is normal," she stated. She estimates that pelvic pain of venous origin is under-investigated, leaving up to a third of patients undiagnosed and untreated. "It is not uncommon for me to hear women who have been told 'It is all in your head', or 'You need to learn to live with the pain'."
For Adriana Veljanovski, the breakthrough has a generational impact. Her daughter began showing similar symptoms in her youth. Because the condition is now better recognised, she is under Dr Villalba's monitoring. "That means she can exercise, monitor it and get her scans done and she might not even need the stent in," Ms Veljanovski said, offering hope that the next generation may avoid years of silent suffering.
