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Why Do Varicose Veins Come Back?

Recurring Varicose Veins

You would be forgiven for assuming that once treated, varicose veins won’t come back – but unfortunately, many do surface again after treatment. 

Varicose veins are a very uncomfortable and unsightly problem and patients who are able to have treatment will naturally hope for great results. However, that is not always the case. A feature in the Daily Mirror explains the issues:

“Beauty ed says: If your varicose veins have come back, chances are you’re not a lost cause, you’ve simply had poor treatment so far. I have a friend whose varicose veins have now come back four times, after both NHS and private treatment involving both laser and stripping.

“It’s only now she’s had a proper scan (unlike the cursory five-minute one before her last, pricey private laser op) and found out exactly why she’s not been fixed.

“The scan picked up a bunch of hidden varicose veins, including one from the pelvis, that hadn’t even been touched in the past. One vein had been treated, but only about a third of it had been lasered away, leaving a huge chunk behind so the problem was always going to recur.”

Read full feature at https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/what-causes-varicose-veins-how-8411781

‘Proper Scan’

A scan is absolutely essential to proper diagnosis of varicose veins. The latest duplex scans enable surgeons to see inside the leg and measure the flow of blood, establishing areas of venous insufficiency. A scan shows issues that are not necessarily visible at the skin’s surface, such as precisely which underlying veins or combination of veins have lost their valves and are causing the varicose veins seen on the surface and whereabouts on the vein the problem is, where blood is pooling rather than flowing freely.

Ensuring that the right veins are treated in the right place is key to getting a good long-term result. The veins are more likely to recur if they were not properly treated in the first place.

Poor Techniques

Some varicose vein treatments are better than others.

The NHS is often the first port of call for those few patients who qualify for treatment, but the NHS tends to offer traditional vein stripping rather than laser treatment (EVLA). Vein stripping has significantly lower outcomes than laser treatment and the veins are more likely to recur.

New Veins

Sadly even the very best best scans and treatment will not prevent new veins from becoming ‘varicose’ veins in the future. This is where preventative advice is essential after treatment. This includes:

Tips to Help Prevent Varicose Veins

  1. Watching your weight with a healthy high fibre/low salt/low fat diet
  2. Regular activity/exercise
  3. Avoiding high heels and tight hosiery
  4. Raising the legs intermittently
  5. Avoiding extended sitting or standing – move around regularly to keep circulation going

UK Varicose Vein Treatments

In the UK, EVLA is viewed as the gold-standards solution for varicose veins. EVLA stands for Endovenous Laser Ablation and the procedure uses laser to heat and damage difficult varicose veins so that they are destroyed.

At clinics such as Cosmedics’ London Vein Treatment Centre, EVLA is carried out on a day case basis and uses local anaesthetic. Recovery is very quick and patients are able to walk unaided to return home. There is no need for an overnight stay and patients can return to normal activities much faster.

Varicose Vein Treatment

Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer private varicose vein treatment including EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) laser varicose vein removal with a vascular surgeon with prices starting at £1,650 per leg (1 vein).

They also offer foam sclerotherapy and micro surgery in order to provide a tailor-made service with the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

Thread veins can be treated with sclerotherapy injections, micro cautery laser or Nd:Yag laser.

For more information or to book a consultation, please complete the form on this web page or call 020 7386 0464.

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