The role of the veins is to carry blood towards the heart. In order to do this, the blood has to flow upwards against gravity, so it is helped along by a series of muscle contractions and one-way valves. If the valves become weak or break they don’t close properly and the blood flows back to the legs, where over a period of time the veins will start to bulge. These damaged veins serve no purpose, as their job is taken over by other veins. This means it’s perfectly safe to remove them.

Around one in five people will develop varicose veins as they get older, and women are affected more than men. Risk factors include age, genes, gender and being overweight.

Although most people seek treatment for cosmetic reasons, they can also cause aching, itchiness, a feeling of heaviness in the leg and night cramps. Varicose veins do not tend to get better and can actually get worse with time if not treated.

EVLA

At The Private Clinic we offer a simpler, less invasive treatment which involves removing varicose veins by laser under local anaesthetic (so called EVLA).

EVLA has been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) which is part of the NHS and assess the safety and effectiveness of medical treatments.

The procedure begins with an ultrasound scan to mark the position of the vein. Local anaesthetic is injected around the vein to ease any discomfort. A fine probe is then inserted through a small incision, usually near the knee. Laser energy is delivered in short pulses to seal the faulty vein so that blood cannot flow through. The leg is then bandages to reduce swelling and bruising.

The removal of varicose veins does not affect blood flow because other veins and especially the deep veins take over this job. It is thus perfectly safe and indeed beneficial to remove varicose veins.

Our surgeons are amongst the UK doctors who have performed the highest number of EVLA procedures to date.

Sclerotherapy (liquid or foam)

For very small veins where it is not possible to put a catheter in, the veins can still be destroyed by injecting a chemical into your varicose veins which damages the veins, causing them to close. Liquid sclerotherapy is often used to treat smaller varicose veins and spider veins. For larger veins, foam sclerotherapy is sometimes used.

The operation takes less than 30 minutes and is done under local anaesthesia, so you will not feel any pain during treatment.

Finally, you may have thread veins which can be removed using microsclerotherapy. This is similar to foam sclerotherapy, but on a much smaller scale.

Phlebectomy 

Phlebectomy is a method of removing varicose veins and spider veins on the surface of the legs. Removal of the vein is called "phlebectomy". Scientifically, "phleb" means vein and "ectomy" means removal.

It is done under local anaesthesia. This procedure involves making tiny punctures or incisions through which the varicose veins are removed. The incisions are so small that no stitches are required.

During your consultation your vascular surgeon will explain your options to you and help you decide which treatment is best for you.

At The Private Clinic we do not use and do not recommend vein stripping for the treatment of varicose veins. Simply put, there are much better techniques available.

Vein stripping is a major surgical procedure usually done under general anaesthesia. Incisions are made either in the groin or behind the knee. An instrument is then passed along the vein and the entire length of the vessel is inverted and removed through the incision in the skin. 

Varicose veins surgery is not only painful but requires unnecessary time off work and causes extensive bruising. 

Despite that 67 per cent of NHS patients are still treated with vein stripping, which means a general anaesthetic and up to six weeks’ painful recovery. 

Local health authorities claim that varicose veins are a cosmetic problem but at least 40 per cent of patients with varicose veins get significant discomfort, especially people who walk a lot – their legs ache and throb. Varicose vein treatment on the NHS is largely confined to patients with significant complications, including phlebitis and ulcers. Even in these cases, minimally invasive treatments would be a better option than vein stripping.

EVLA is carried out under local anaesthetic so you won’t feel anything during the procedure. Some patients experience a little discomfort afterwards but it’s minimal.

Approximately 45 minutes.

You will see results instantly.

Results are permanent.

Common side effects include swelling and bruising, however both should reduce over 1 to 2 weeks.

Your consultant will be able to advise you on this. It will depend very much on the severity of the veins removed but we usually recommend that you avoid flying for 3-4 days.