insideKENT Magazine Issue 68 - November 2017 | Page 126
HEALTH+WELLNESS
HOW TO
GET RID OF
VARICOSE VEINS
UNTIL RELATIVELY RECENTLY IF YOU HAD
VARICOSE VEINS YOU HAD TWO OPTIONS –
YOU EITHER PUT UP WITH THEM OR YOU
WENT INTO HOSPITAL FOR A MAJOR
OPERATION. NOWADAYS, THANKS TO
ADVANCES IN KEYHOLE AND LASER SURGERY,
GETTING RID OF VARICOSE VEINS IS A LOT
MORE CONVENIENT. THE DOCTORS AT
COODEN MEDICAL GROUP’S CANTERBURY
CLINIC TALK ABOUT TWO OF THE MOST
EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS.
Dr Mo Faris
Varicose veins are the large rope-like veins
that usually appear on your lower leg. While
they don’t usually cause medical problems,
they can be uncomfortable, especially at night
and many people are self-conscious about
their appearance.
If you’ve decided that you want rid of your
varicose veins, whether it’s for cosmetic or
other reasons, there are several options for
treatment. Your consultant will recommend
the most appropriate one depending on the
type, size and stage of the affected vein, taking
your own preference into account.
SCLEROTHERAPY
“Sclero” comes from the Greek word for hard
and this treatment works by injecting the vein
with liquid to cause the blood inside to clot
and harden. This seals the vein shut and stops
it from functioning. Over a period of time the
vein will break down naturally and will
disappear.
Sclerotherapy is normally used for treating
spider veins and smaller varicose veins. It is
virtually painless, involving one or two small
needle punctures into the affected vein. The
consultant will use ultrasound to guide the
needle into the correct part of the vein.
The treatment is very quick and you can carry
on as normal immediately afterwards,
although you will need to wear compression
stockings for a week or two. Sometimes a
second injection is needed a few weeks
afterwards to achieve the desired results.
ENDOVENOUS LASER ABLATION (EVLA)
In the last few years this pioneering treatment
has become the preferred alternative to the
old fashioned surgical “stripping” of varicose
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veins. It literally means “destroying the vein
from the inside with a laser”, which is exactly
what happens. The consultant introduces a
thin fibre into the affected vein using
ultrasound as a guide. The laser is fired into
the vein through the fibre and destroys the
vein without affecting any of the surrounding
tissue.
You need to have a local anaesthetic but once
this is done the procedure is painless.
Afterwards you might feel some tenderness,
tingling or tightness in the treated leg but this
is nothing to worry about and will disappear
in a few weeks.
You will be able to walk immediately after your
treatment and your consultant will encourage
you to keep active. But you will need avoid
swimming, hot baths, sun bathing and
vigorous exercise for a couple of weeks.
For further information please call
01227 903038 or visit
www.coodenmedicalgroup.com
The Cooden Medical Group Canterbury Clinic
All Health Matters
Orchard Close Mews
Orchard Street
Canterbury
CT2 8AP
01227 903038
[email protected]
coodenmedicalgroup.com/clinics/
canterbury
CoodenMedical
coodenmedicalgroup