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Haemorrhaging Varicose Veins Warning

The story of an Australian lady who unfortunately died from haemorrhaging varicose veins has raised the rare but dangerous risk of bleeding from injury to the damaged vessels. 

The case concerned an elderly lady whose leg bled uncontrollably after being pecked by a rooster. The vein was punctured and the lady collapsed and died before help could arrive.

Thankfully this situation is a very rare occurrence, with just a couple of cases reported per year.

However, it does highlight that people who have weakened vessels are at greater risk of injury. Puncturing a varicose vein can lead to arterial bleeding and a potentially fatal medical situation.

The patients most at risk are the elderly who have delicate skin and fragile soft tissues, so that even a relatively minor injury can cause devastating consequences.The weak or damaged valves in the veins do not pump the blood effectively and efficiently back to the body.

The lady in question was overweight with a medical history of diabetes and high blood pressure. Her varicose veins had been operated on in the past, but the condition was still severe and she had difficulty walking.

Pathologist Roger Byard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

“There are a couple of messages, one is never trust a rooster … the second one is if you’ve got varicose veins, get something done about it.”

Varicose Veins Treatment Options

There are now a number of very effective treatment options for varicose veins with better success rates and faster recovery than the traditional ‘vein stripping’ treatment which was historically offered by the NHS.

The London Vein Centre offers a range of varicose vein treatments using the latest laser and surgical techniques:

  • EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) treatment offers a 95% success rate. Cosmedics Skin Clinics offer EVLA treatment at their London vein treatment centre with a renowned vascular surgeon
  • ClariVein® is a treatment which combines a mechanical with a chemical action to seal
  • Foam sclerotherapy an injectable treatment for smaller varicose veins or larger thread veins
  • Exclusive Tumescent Foam Sclerotherapy which combines EVLA with foam sclerotherapy in a single treatment
  • Micro surgery for physical, surgical removal of the affected vein where necessary

All procedures are carried out by our experienced Vascular Surgeon on a ‘walk in walk out’ basis with no overnight stay and no general anaesthetic.

Advice on Varicose Veins

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If you want to get some advice on varicose veins, please contact our friendly and knowledgeable team.

  • Initial limited free advice on the phone and via email
  • Consultation with our vascular surgeon (fees apply). This includes full medical history and examination of veins with full duplex scan for detailed diagnosis of the vein problem, leading to recommendation of the most appropriate treatment

Varicose Vein Removal Treatments

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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