Surgery remains the traditional technique for treating varicose veins and requires a general anaesthetic.
EVLT involves the introduction of a thin tube (catheter) into the main superficial vein on the inside of the thigh through a small skin incision over the inside of the knee.
Sclerotherapy involves the use of a sclerosant and has been used for many years to treat small varicose veins.
This is an alternative minimally-invasive technique using a similar principle to laser treatment.
This involves injecting a small amount of a sclerosant into the inside of the thread veins using a very fine needle. Alternatively a very fine needle is introduced over the vein which transmits a local heating effect making the vein disappear instantly in most cases.
This involves injecting a small amount of a sclerosant into the inside of the thread veins using a very fine needle. No local anaesthetic is required and only minimal discomfort is experienced during the procedure. Several veins can be treated at a time, however multiple thread veins on both legs may require treatment on more than one occasion. Dressings and a compression bandage are applied for some patients following the treatment and can be removed after one day.
This uses a thermo-coagulation (heating) technique to obliterate superficial thread veins. A very fine needle is introduced over the vein which transmits the local heating effect and in most cases the vein disappears instantly without bruising or discomfort. No local anaesthetic is necessary and no bandaging is required. It is suitable for most of the thread veins affecting the lower limbs.
