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.
Surgery remains the traditional technique for treating varicose veins and requires a general anaesthetic. A 3cm incision is made in the groin and the connection between the main superficial vein in the thigh and the main deep vein is tied off. The superficial vein is then stripped out through an additional incision on the inside of the knee. In cases where the vein connection behind the knee is the cause of the varicose veins, an incision is made here to tie off this connection. Small veins below the knee are removed through further incisions (2mm in size). These are called ‘phlebectomies’ or ‘avulsions’.
Most conventional varicose vein operations are now done as day-case procedures and do not routinely require an overnight hospital stay. However, patients are required to wear support stockings for one week following surgery and a convalescence period of 1 to 2 weeks is usually needed.
Several new techniques for varicose veins treatment have been developed over recent years and are offered by Vein Solutions. These techniques avoid the need for a formal incision in the groin and usually do not require general anaesthesia. Patients have their treatment in the outpatient clinic in less than an hour and are able to return to their normal activities the next day. The long-term results of laser treatment (3 years) in terms of recurrence rates of the varicose veins are comparable with that for conventional surgery.
See the related links for a description of each technique. Treatment of thread veins is discussed separately.
