Are my varicose veins a health risk?

Varicose veins are a relatively common issue shared amongst 40% of the adult population in the UK. Usually varicose veins are caused by pregnancy, genetics, age or being overweight and the main reason for seeking treatment would be if you were unhappy with the appearance. In some cases patients have discussed symptoms such as pain, aching, discomfort, swelling, heaviness or itching which are all common of varicose veins but one the most common questions that our vascular surgeons get asked in consultations is if there is any serious health risk associated with varicose veins?

Are my varicose veins a health risk?

Varicose veins can come with potential health hazards that could put you at risk of blood clots, ulcers and venous diseases although they are still often regarded as relatively low risk.
However, a recent study has been carried out by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) where they investigated if varicose veins associated with an increased risk of developing deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), or peripheral artery disease (PAD). They found that adults diagnosed with varicose veins were at a significantly increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
Although the association between varicose veins and DVT does still require further research to determine if it fits a common set of risk factors it is still a big jump into getting the true risks of varicose veins properly identified. You can read more about the research here.

How can I treat my Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins have a wide range of treatments including:

EVLA

EVLA is the NICE Gold Standard treatment of Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA).
EVLA is a minimally invasive treatment that does not require a hospital stay, treatment takes around 1 hour to complete and you will be able to go home shortly afterwards. The success rate after five years for EVLA is 95.4% meaning that once treated, it is unlikely that your varicose veins will return to the same area.

VenaSeal

VenaSeal is also known as the superglue vein treatment as it uses a medical grade adhesive to close off faulty vein valves. The treatment is minimally invasive and only requires minimal injections making it ideal for those with a needle phobia that may have been putting off varicose vein treatment. The treatment also boasts a reduced recovery time, allowing patients to  return to work or day-to-day activities quickly.

Foam Sclerotherapy

Foam sclerotherapy treatment for varicose veins is a minimally-invasive procedure that takes less than 30 minutes to complete under a local anaesthetic. The affected varicose veins are injected with a sclerosant solution which causes the vein channel to close up and be naturally absorbed by the body. Multiple treatments may be required but results can be seen from 3-6 weeks after treatment.

Phlebectomy

A phlebectomy is a microsurgery procedure that physically removes surface varicose veins with a specialised phlebectomy hook device. The treatment is minimally invasive, does not require stitches and the incision will heal quickly due to the nature of the tiny micro punctures.
Find out more about EVLA and other varicose vein treatment options here

Why choose The Private Clinic?

• We offer competitively priced, walk-in walk-out procedures.
• Our procedures are performed by some of the Country’s top Consultant Vascular Surgeons.
• All procedures are carried out under local anaesthetic in one of our widely recognised in-house clinical facilities.
• We aim to tackle the actual cause of the problem, which is why we offer all patients a free ultrasound scan at their initial consultation.
• We have carried out over 7,000 procedures, treating patients who have regained their confidence whilst avoiding health issues.
• View our gallery of before and after photos here
• View our extensive list of FAQs here
• Read our patient stories here

To find out more about our varicose vein treatments or to book a consultation please call 03339209135 or click here.