Varicose Veins

Varicose veins can occur...

• As a hereditary medical vein condition - varicose veins tend to run in families.
• In both men and women, but are more frequent in women. Oestrogen may play a role in varicose vein development because both puberty and pregnancy often seem to start varicose veins.
• During pregnancy the enlarged uterus can restrict blood flow out of the legs putting pressure on the veins, and cause varicose veins.
• As a result of occupations with prolonged standing, varicose veins can occur.

Most of us are familiar with the look of bulging, twisted varicose veins on the legs. However you may still have varicose veins without this characteristic appearance. Varicose veins can cause ankle swelling, or a heavy fatigued feeling, throbbing or aching in the legs. This is more likely after prolonged sitting or standing. Other symptoms can include restlessness in the legs, cramp, itching, or a red rash (‘varicose eczema’) on the skin of the legs.  Sometimes you will notice a dark pigment forming on the lowerlegs or a congested purple appearance of the feet at the end of the day. Varicose ulcers can appear as a direct result of your varicose veins.

If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms, talk to your GP, or simply make an appointment to see one of our vein doctors (phlebologists) at Palm Clinic.

Although varicose veins are not a life-threatening condition, most people with symptoms (such as aching) notice an increased quality of life after vein treatment. Or if you are symptom-free but dislike the appearance of the veins, you may choose treatment for cosmetic reasons.

For more serious complications such as varicose eczema or varicose ulcers it would be wise to have the varicose veins treated in order to improve the eczema or ulcers.

The two main treatments are Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy (UGS), and Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA). You can find out more about these two procedures above – but generally speaking, UGS tends to be used for smaller, twisted veins; while EVLA is used for larger, straighter veins. Surgery is another option offered at Palm Clinic, although non-surgical treatments are appropriate for most people.

As the first step in your varicose vein treatment, we will take a vein map of your leg using ultrasound. This will help us plan the most effective and safest treatment for you.

One of the advantages of non-surgical treatment is that there’s no ‘down time’, other than the actual treatment session. You can get back to your normal routine virtually straight away. There are some exceptions – such as sport, heavy lifting and flying. You’ll be given easy-to-follow instructions for your post-treatment care. Those whose work involves heavy lifting (>10Kg) will need to be on light duties for 3 weeks.

We will give you a cost estimate at the initial consultation depending on the extent of the problem and what treatment will be best for you. Check with your medical insurance provider, to see if they will cover the cost. (Palm Clinic is an affiliated Provider to Southern Cross Healthcare). If you don’t have health insurance, or your treatment is not medically necessary, you may wish to pay for the treatment yourself.