Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are veins that have become enlarged and twisted over a period of time. In normal circulation, veins are the channels that take the blood back from the legs towards the heart. A series of one-way valves stop it falling down again. When these valves become weak, they begin to leak and the blood pools, stretching the veins. This can allow blood to leak from the veins and damage the skin.

To many, varicose veins represent a cosmetic problem, but if varicose veins go untreated, they can cause symptoms such as pain, itchiness, and fatigue. Over time, as the inflammation continues, this can damage the skin and lead to eczema, scarring and even ulcers. In up to 3% of cases, people can develop a blood clot within the vein.

Spider veins and telangiectasias are just like varicose veins, only they are smaller and found closer to the skin surface. They are often red or blue in appearance and look like tree branches or resemble a spider web.

These tiny cluster of vessels often signify a deeper issue. While their development increases with age, there are treatments available to minimise their appearance.

Some people are more at risk of developing varicose veins than others. Such risk factors include:

• Genetics – varicose veins tend to run in families
• Gender – occur in both women and men, but more in women
• Pregnancy – significantly increases risk with the number of children
• Obesity – carrying extra weight increases the pressure on your veins
• Occupation – sitting or standing for long periods of time at work

• Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy involves injecting varicose veins which are hidden beneath your skin with a sclerosant (medication) which causes them to collapse and they eventually become absorbed by the body over time.

• Radiofrequency ablation is treatment using heat created from radiofrequency waves to destroy the abnormal vein. Local anaesthetic and cooling fluids are injected along the length of the affected vein and then the device is passed up the affected vein through a small incision in the skin.

• Medical glue is a relatively new procedure. It involves passing a small device into the affected vein and then injecting medical glue into the abnormal veins. Patients who have a glue closure can often return to normal duties immediately and are only required to wear the compression stockings temporarily.

• Surgical stripping of the vein is a procedure to remove a damaged varicose vein in the leg. During the surgery, you are put to sleep with a general anaesthetic and Dr Bullen will make an incision and pull out the damaged vein. The body does not need this vein because other healthy veins take over the blood flow. After surgery, there may be bruising and soreness, and recovery usually takes a few weeks with walking and compression stockings.

• Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL) / Vbeam laser delivers an intense but gentle burst of light into targeted areas of the skin. This laser light is then absorbed by the target (blood vessel or pigmented area). The heat selectively destroys the targeted blood vessels while leaving the surrounding skin largely unaffected.