NHS Varicose Veins Treatment

Many people still assume that varicose veins are a condition which will be treated by the NHS, yet this is not necessarily the case. 

What’s more, the treatments available under the NHS are not necessarily the best.

Varicose Veins on the NHS

The NHS website declares its position as follows:

If you have varicose veins and they don’t cause you any discomfort, you may not need to visit your GP.

Varicose veins are rarely a serious condition and they don’t usually require treatment.

Patients are advised to seek help if their varicose veins are painful/uncomfortable, cause irritation/soreness to the skin around them or disturb your sleep.

On that basis, many varicose veins are classed as ‘cosmetic’ and therefore do not qualify for treatment under the NHS, even though they may cause deep dissatisfaction with the appearance and be achy or itchy.

If the GP agrees, then the next step is a referral to a vascular specialist for further investigations which may include a scan.

NHS Varicose Vein Treatment

The NHS state:

Varicose veins don’t always need treatment. If your varicose veins are not causing you discomfort, you may not need to have treatment.

Treatment of varicose veins is usually necessary:

• to ease symptoms – if your varicose veins are causing you pain or discomfort
• to treat complications – such as leg ulcers, swelling or skin discolouration
• for cosmetic reasons – but this kind of treatment is rarely available on the NHS, so you’ll usually have to pay for it to be done privately

The NHS still uses traditional vein stripping for many patients – a treatment which has a failure rate of around 50%.

Private Varicose Vein Treatment

Private clinics such as Cosmedics Skin Clinics are able to offer a series of advantages:

• Varicose veins can be treated for cosmetic reasons
• More modern treatments are available such as EVLA Endovenous Laser Ablation – which has a 95% success rate and is available on a day case basis with fast recovery
• No waiting lists
• Duplex ultrasound scan carried out at the first consultation
• Consultations and treatment with an experienced cardiovascular surgeon

Cosmedics Skin Clinics

Varicose vein removal is now available at Cosmedics Skin Clinics private clinic based in Putney, London.

The clinic offers the latest techniques with a top vascular surgeon.

• Foam sclerotherapy – an injection treatment for smaller varicose veins
• EVLA – latest laser treatment for varicose veins with 95% success rate
• Microsurgery – to remove the veins surgically through very small incisions

There is no need for an overnight stay and patients can actually walk out unaided, same day, after treatment.

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