Varicose Veins

Varicose veins develop when the small valves inside the veins stop working properly. In a healthy vein, blood flows smoothly towards the heart. The blood is prevented from flowing backwards by a series of tiny valves that open and close to let blood through. If the valves weaken or are damaged, the blood can flow backwards and can collect in the vein, eventually causing it to be varicose (swollen and enlarged).

Varicose veins are a very common condition, affecting up to 3 in 10 adults. Women tend to be more affected than men. Any vein in the body can become varicose, but they most commonly develop in the legs, particularly in the calves. This is because standing and walking puts extra pressure on the veins in the lower body.

For most people, varicose veins do not present a serious health problem. They may have an unpleasant appearance, but they should not affect the circulation or cause any long-term health problems.

In some cases, however, varicose veins can cause aching, swollen and painful legs and they can also cause complications, such as skin discolouration and leg ulcers. Varicose veins will require treatment if they are causing significant discomfort or if complications develop.

There are now a number of different procedures to remove varicose veins. At The Vein Surgery in Scotland we have invested in the full range of technology solutions as well as offering the standard surgical treatments.

The following treatments for varicose veins are available at our clinic.

Venefit ( previously known as VNUS Closure)

Radiofrequency (RF) endovenous ablation is a minimally invasive procedure for treating venous reflux disease — effectively using RF to heat and seal diseased veins thereby, reducing or eliminating existing varicose veins. With the Venefit catheter, the only RF ablation device on the market today for the treatment of venous reflux using radiofrequency energy which is delivered through a heating element 7cm long that heats the collagen within the vein walls and causes the shrinkage and collapse of the vessel.

The procedure is generally performed using local anaesthesia, although may be done under general anaestheticas a daycase.

The Venefit catheter is inserted into the vein through a tiny incision below the knee. Guided by ultrasound imaging, the vascular surgeon treats each 7cm. segment of vein with a 20-second burst of RF energy, causing the vessel to shrink around the catheter. The vascular surgeon withdraws the catheter, treating each segment until the entire vessel has been sealed. An average 45cm length vein can be treated in this manner in three to five minutes.

Click on the video to see how easy the innovative ClosureFast system works

Clarivein

Clarivein is a technique for the management of small to medium sized varicose veins which can be performed easily as an outpatient. The technique involves a local anaesthetic which allows the surgeon to insert the Clarivein device into the vein, usually at around knee level, using a needle and guide-wire. The Clarivein device is passed into the vein and a solution is injected via a rotating head and the device is withdrawn. The solution has the effect of causing the vein to seal off.

The procedure takes around 15 minutes and the best results are achieved by patients wearing compression stockings for two weeks afterwards.

In some patients, not all of the veins will resolve with one treatment and local injections may be required. The surgeon can give a rough estimate of the risk of that at the time of the original consultation.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy, or injection therapy, is one minimally invasive alternative to surgery. Sclerotherapy exists in two forms: liquid sclerotherapy and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy. They both use an irritant chemical which when injected into a varicose vein, can cause it to disappear. Liquid sclerotherapy is typically used to treat small calf varicose veins which may persist after varicose vein surgery. Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy uses a foam form of the same agent and combination with ultrasound, enables more accurate placement of the foam directly into the problematic vein. This particular form of sclerotherapy is now used extensively across the UK and in addition to treating calf veins, is now used to treat larger varicose veins in the leg. It is a relatively painless treatment and does not usually require any anaesthetic. Skin staining can occur in a small proportion of patients but in most, this is temporary. Major complications are very rare. For major varicose veins in the leg, recurrence rates are inferior to Clarivein and Venefit but are similar to standard surgery.

Cost

The cost for varicose vein removal at our clinic starts from just £645.  Please ask our staff for details.

Make an enquiry

If you would like to arrange a consultation with one of our varicose vein specialists at our clinic you can telephone us on 0141 328 2818 or simply complete our Enquiry Form here and a member of our team will contact you.