Varicose Vein Treatment. Endovenous Laser Treatment VS Surgery & Sclerotherapy

Varicose Vein Treatment. Endovenous Laser Treatment VS Surgery & Sclerotherapy

An unwanted feature on our legs, when it comes to putting on your favourite little black dress, Varicose Veins can often make you think twice about baring this part of your body.

Although not possessing any long lasting effects to our overall health, Varicose Veins can make us feel uncomfortable and self conscious when baring our body. 

When it comes to treating these abnormal veins, particularly if your Varicose Veins are causing you pain or discomfort, then consider vein removal?

 With a number of different vein removal treatments available, we will compare the different treatments and help you to discover which is best suited for your needs. 

What are the different Varicose Vein removals? 

When it comes to treating and removing varicose veins, there are three top, painless options that can remove these annoying veins quickly. 

With each type of treatment conducted painlessly by an experienced doctor, when it comes to choosing which treatment is best suited for you, let us walk you through the details of each procedure.

We recommend making a knowledgeable and well informed decision, this you can do by discovering the benefits of each of the three different varicose vein procedures. 

EVLA Endovenous Laser Treatment

Endovenous Laser Treatment, also referred to as EVLA, is a quick, new method for Varicose Vein removal. Removing the veins without the need for surgery, this treatment, involves removing the veins through the use of a laser.  The heat from the laser will destroy and kill the vein walls. The dead tissue of the veins is then naturally absorbed into the body.

As it’s a quick and easy task, this EVLA Varicose Vein treatment can be conducted in a treatment room instead of a hospital following the advice of a trusted doctor. 

Quick to complete, Endovenous Laser Treatment can take up to an hour to complete on each leg. Along with being quick, for those patients wanting to remain active following this vein removal treatment, then you will be pleased to note that you can do so with EVLA.

Remain active when removing Varicose Veins with an EVLA treatment. It is advised, however, that driving is not to be completed straight away, while strenuous activity should be withheld for a minimum of a week. 

How is Endovenous Laser Treatment conducted?

Quick and simple to be conducted, to conduct EVLA, a thin tube referred to as a laser thread is inserted into the vein through the creation of a small cut. 

Due to the heating of the vein by the laser. By heating the vein from up close, this allows the heat to destroy the cell walls, killing the vein in return. Completed with the patient using local anesthetist, no pain will be experienced through an EVLA treatment. 

Varicose Vein Surgery – we don’t offer hospital stays for vein surgery

For some patients wanting to remove Varicose Veins, the option of EVLA or Sclerotherapy might not be available. For those wanting to remove their abnormal veins, Varicose Vein Surgery is also an option.

 Able to be removed under general anesthetist, Varicose Vein Surgery or Ligation Vein removal will be conducted with the patient asleep throughout the entire operation. With different forms of anesthetists, your doctor can discuss and walk you through the different options available.

When conducting Varicose Vein Surgery, it is often recommended that patients stay overnight at a hospital, particularly if having a treatment on both legs. 

It is often advised that patients keep their legs wrapped in a bandage to prevent bruising and bleeding for up to two weeks after your surgery.

What can you expect during Varicose Vein Surgery?

When you book Varicose Vein Surgery, it can seem like a daunting experience. Conducted by a skilled surgeon, to remove the entire varicose vein, an incision is made into the groin or at the back of the knee depending on the location of the vein. With a cut running up to 6cm – not true.

After a local anaesthetic to numb the areas to be treated, small incisions are made along the leg.  The doctor will enter through these small incisions to provide treatment. The veins are removed through the area of incision to the satisfactory result of the doctor.  

This prevents the enlarged vein from occurring again in the future. The area is covered and left to heal with a bandage applied. You are able to walk fairly immediately with very little downtime.  Return to work and normal practice is fine within a day or so, depending on you, with no vigorous exercise recommended for 2 weeks.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy treatment is another popular choice for those wanting to remove their Varicose Veins without wanting to undergo surgery. A form of treatment, to remove Varicose Veins through Sclerotherapy, a doctor will inject a solution, sclerosant, into the blood vessels in order to cause the blood vessel to shrink. Used not just to treat varicose veins, Sclerotherapy can also be used to remove spider veins. As a non-surgical procedure, Sclerotherapy can be completed in a practitioner’s office. The irritant, sclerosant, when injected into the blood vessels, will cause the blood vessels to swell, cutting the blood flow so that the abnormal blood vessels shrink and shrivel. 

What can you expect during a Sclerotherapy treatment? 

During a Sclerotherapy treatment to remove your unwanted Varicose Veins, an appointment beforehand with a trained doctor is always recommended. 

Not normally requiring anesthesia during the procedure you will be required to lie on your back with your legs positioned up. Cleaning the area where the solution will be injected, a small needle will be injected into the vein. 

Into the vein, the sclerosant will be injected, this can cause a slight tingling and burning, however, this is very rare. 

Once the doctor has finished injecting the solution, they will give the area where the Varicose Vein is located a massage. This will help to prevent the blood from re-entering into the vein. 

After your Sclerotherapy treatment, it is recommended that the patient should wear compression stockings to prevent bleeding or bruising.

A follow up treatment, might also be required to help fully destroy the abnormal vein. 

Can you remain active following a Sclerotherapy treatment? It is recommended that after a Varicose Veins Sclerotherapy, that you remain as active as possible, this can help reduce any chance of blood clots from occurring. It is advised, however, that you avoid sunlight for a short period following your treatment. This is to reduce the risk of dark spots from developing on the skin surrounding the location where the abnormal vein was removed.

There you have it, the three most popular methods of removing Varicose Veins. Although all different, each treatment has the same outcome and can remove abnormal veins for both health and appearance benefits. 

With a treatment suited for all patients, when it comes to choosing which of the three varicose vein treatments is right for you, we always advise following the advice of an experienced doctor.

Before you can book and complete any vein removal surgery, it is always best to book a consultation, looking at your health and needs before going any further.