Talk to us about your varicose veins treatment. Our team will discuss your concerns then recommend your treatment plan.
First up will be an ultrasound scan providing detailed information about your varicose veins. Next, your consultation may be with one of our specialist nurses, over the phone or in person with one of our specialists. It may even be on the day of your procedure. You choose.
So, what happens before veins treatment day?
A few days out, one of our team will call you to discuss what you can expect on the day of your treatment. Advising on what to wear, any preparation needed and how long treatment is expected to take. They will describe the procedure and answer any questions you may have.
What to expect on veins treatment day
Our nurse will check your details, general health and blood pressure. The specialist performing the procedure wears a gown and gloves to maintain a sterile room. Our nurse will be assisting.
The specialist will have your ultrasound scan results to hand and follow your treatment plan. Our most common vein treatment uses a sealant technique called Venaseal® or a heating technique called Radiofrequency Ablation(RFA).
Closure of the main vein uses local anaesthetic. An optional sedative or some extra pain relief is available for this part of the procedure if you need it.
Small injections are used to treat and close off smaller varicose veins. Called sclerotherapy (the sealer is called sclerosant) is usually performed straight away after the main feeding vein has been closed. Most patients tolerate the treatment and injections with ease.
Even smaller veins may be injected with sclerosant (we call this microsclerotherapy). But when the veins are just too small and there are too many of them (spider veins) for the specialist to inject individually we can treat them in one of our Pulse Aesthetics clinics using a specialised vascular laser, if you choose. Spider veins are not varicose so this procedure is cosmetic.
Treatment all up takes around 1.5 hours. While you can walk out after and are okay to drive most patients prefer to have someone drive them home.
Compression stockings are a crucial component
A crucial part of our treatment involves compression. Straight after your treatment we will fit you with compression stockings to help keep blood flowing. You will be need to keep these on day and night for 10 days or so.
Once home, we suggest resting for the remainder of the day and the next. Introduce daily activities from day three. You can go back to work the day after treatment.
Aftercare instructions and a call from our nurse
Remember to follow the aftercare instructions from our nurse. Avoid spas and swimming pools while you’re wearing your compression stockings, to reduce the risk of infection. Keep exercise light, ie, no heavy lifting or gym workouts but walking is good.
Our nurse will call you in a few days to check and to answer any questions. It is normal to have a little bruising or small lumps appear over the treated veins. These may take three to six months to fade.
Other than that, we’ll organise a follow-up appointment in six weeks either in person or over the phone.
Book your appointment with us today.
