HOW ARE VARICOSE VEINS TREATED ?
The idea is to stop blood flowing downwards in the wrong direction . There are two lots of veins in the leg , the deep veins , which are deep inside the leg and much bigger than the surface veins . As long as these are working properly , then the varicose veins can be removed or sealed off to stop blood flowing in the wrong direction . There are several ways to do this . The old fashioned way was to “ strip ” the varicose veins but this is unnecessarily invasive and most specialists have abandoned this treatment method . Instead the vein can be sealed from inside with a catheter ( e . g . radiofrequency ablation or lasers , which does not require any cuts ). Smaller veins can be treated with foam sclerotherapy in which a substance is injected in them to seal them off . The veins can also be physically removed via small nicks in the skin . They can even be sealed off with superglue !
HOW DO I KNOW WHICH TREATMENT IS BEST FOR ME ?
All the different treatments mentioned have their pros and cons . It is important to get an ultrasound scan of your veins , which will show exactly which veins are involved and how bad they are . You should then see an expert who can offer all the different treatments . You can then tailor the treatment to your particular varicose veins and to your preferences . There is no one treatment which is best for everyone .
Mr MacSweeney sees private patients at the Park Hospital Nottingham NG5 8RX ( North of Nottingham ), Spire Hospital Nottingham NG12 4GA ( South-East of Nottingham ) and private and NHS patients at the Circle Nottingham NHS Treatment Centre NG7 2FT ( in the grounds of the Queens Medical Centre ).
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Photography : © Ulia Koltyrina - stock . adobe . com
To make a private appointment to see Mr MacSweeney telephone his PA Amy Troke on 0115 896 7660 or email Amy . Troke @ phf . uk . com
For further information visit : www . vascularinfo . co . uk
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