Treatment for Varicose Veins

So far no-one has found a way of fixing the faulty valves in veins, or replacing them with artificial valves.

Given we can’t fix the valves, the treatment for varicose veins is aimed at stopping the blood from going the wrong way (refluxing).

Having identified the veins that are faulty through the scan, we then talk you through what the different treatments options available to you are.

What we do not do though is strip veins as this results in the veins growing back in 80% of cases within five years. (see why we don't strip veins)

We seal the veins using heat to destroy the vein. This stops the vein from growing back.

Want to know why? – read more

Here at The Whiteley Clinic we are able to offer a wide range of different treatments options dependant on what is best for your veins:

The main three procedures are:

EVLA - Endo Venous Laser Ablation
VNUS Closure^® and Closure^® FAST™
RFiTT^® by Olympus

These are summarised below

Procedure	EVLT (Endovenous Laser Ablation)	VNUS	RFiTT^® (Radio frequency ablation of varicose veins)
What is it?	The vein is sealed using a laser. Using duplex ultrasound, so we can make sure we are going to the right veins, a laser fibre is passed up inside the vein. The laser is fired and the sheath and fibre is pulled down at exactly the right speed, closing the vein permanently	Radio frequency sealing of veins. Using duplex ultrasound a catheter is passed into the vein to be treated. A radio frequency electric current passes between two electrodes at the end of the catheter, heating the vein wall and destroying it permanently.	Radio frequency sealing of veins. Using duplex ultrasound a catheter is passed into the vein to be treated. A radio frequency electric current passes between two electrodes at the end of the catheter, heating the vein wall and destroying it permanently.
What kind of anaesthetic will I have?	Local anaesthetic	Local anaesthetic	Local anaesthetic
Other useful information	Walk-in-walk-out surgery. You walk out of theatre and the whole process takes less than two hours from arrival to departure. Often used for bigger veins or where there has been clotting or scarring in the veins	Walk-in-walk-out surgery. You walk out of theatre and the whole process takes less than two hours from arrival to departure.	Walk-in-walk-out surgery. Uses a lower frequency than for VNUS –and can be less painful You walk out of theatre and the whole process takes less than two hours from arrival to departure. Tends to be used in conjunction with TRLOP (see below)

Procedure

EVLT (Endovenous Laser Ablation)

VNUS

RFiTT^® (Radio frequency ablation of varicose veins)

What is it?

The vein is sealed using a laser.
Using duplex ultrasound, so we can make sure we are going to the right veins, a laser fibre is passed up inside the vein. The laser is fired and the sheath and fibre is pulled down at exactly the right speed, closing the vein permanently

Radio frequency sealing of veins. Using duplex ultrasound a catheter is passed into the vein to be treated.

A radio frequency electric current passes between two electrodes at the end of the catheter, heating the vein wall and destroying it permanently.

Radio frequency sealing of veins. Using duplex ultrasound a catheter is passed into the vein to be treated.

A radio frequency electric current passes between two electrodes at the end of the catheter, heating the vein wall and destroying it permanently.

What kind of anaesthetic will I have?

Local anaesthetic

Other useful information

Walk-in-walk-out surgery. You walk out of theatre and the whole process takes less than two hours from arrival to departure. Often used for bigger veins or where there has been clotting or scarring in the veins

Walk-in-walk-out surgery. You walk out of theatre and the whole process takes less than two hours from arrival to departure.

Walk-in-walk-out surgery. Uses a lower frequency than for VNUS –and can be less painful You walk out of theatre and the whole process takes less than two hours from arrival to departure. Tends to be used in conjunction with TRLOP (see below)

Whilst dealing with the main veins usually resolves the problem of varicose veins, sometimes there are other minor veins (called perforating veins) involved which also need treating. These are often ignored but can result in future problems if not dealt with.

We will have identified these when we do your scan. In order to treat these we may carry out the following procedures

SEPS, TRLOP, RFS®

Using ultrasound we find the incompetent perforating vein, and pass a catheter and then close it permanently with heat at 85 degrees centigrade. Read more

Foam Sclerotherapy

For very small veins where it is not possible to put a catheter in, the veins can still be destroyed by using foam which is a mixture of liquid and gas. The foam pushes the blood out of the way allowing the scelerosing liquid part of the foam to destroy the vein.
It is important to keep the veins closed after the procedure and if you have this treatment, you will need to wear compression bandages for 14 days afterwards. Read More.

Phlebectomies

If you have knotty veins (called varices) on the surface it may be necessary to remove them because once the underlying veins have been treated these varices may clot and cause painful thrombophlebitis (where the vein becomes very hard, red and tender).

A phlebectomy is where we remove these varices under local anaesthetic, leaving your legs without the knotty veins.

Microsclerotherapy

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

Please note that if you have private health insurance, this treatment is not covered as it is deemed to be cosmetic.

More information can be found at our associated website.

www.veins.co.uk

Treatment - VNUS Closure

VNUS Closure Diagram

VNUS Closure® was the first of the new "keyhole surgery" techniques for varicose veins that came into the UK.

The first case performed as a "keyhole surgery" technique in the UK was by Mr Mark Whiteley and Judy Holdstock of The Whiteley Clinic, on the 12th of March 1999.

There had been other attempts at using heat to close veins ever since the 1930s. However it was the VNUS Closure® technique and the modern ultrasound machines that allowed us to position the VNUS Closure® catheter precisely, that made this technique successful and opened the door to other keyhole surgical techniques.

More Info »