Varicose Veins

New Zealand experts in varicose veins treatment, Palm Clinic use the most upto date non-surgical vein procedures.

Palm Clinic is an affiliated provider to Southern Cross for varicose veins. Treatments are generally covered by medical insurance including Southern Cross, Tower, Unimed and others when meeting 'medical necessity criteria'.

Varicose veins are large dilated blood vessels that have a red or bluish colour and protrude above the surface of the skin. Varicose veins are commonly associated with symptons such as aching, throbbing, tired legs, varicose leg ulcers, cramp, heavy legs, burning, itching, varicose eczema, leg swelling and restless legs.

What causes varicose vein problems?
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.

Testimonial

"I am sure most people approach vein treatment with some trepidation - I certainly did!.  Well my experience with Palm Clinic means that you needn't worry.  Right from the first visit I was impressed with the complete service at Palm Clinic, and working in the health industry I have high expectations.  You can't miss the investment in the latest equipment and hi-tech facilities but it is the people that stand out.  Clearly the team are complete professionals however it is their personable, engaging nature which made trips to Palm Clinic a pleasure which was unexpected.  You can tell the team get on well and enjoy their job, and the interaction with their clients - to me a sign of a well oiled team.  I personally appreciated their very attentive approach - there was a lot of follow up to make sure that my treatment was completed as expected.  I felt in safe hands and recommend them without hesitation.  Thanks team - at every level the service was superb."

Treatments for varicose veins
There are four main treatment types for varicose veins:

Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) is the most modern and effective form of treatment for varicose veins. EVLA uses a laser fibre inside the vein to permanently seal the abnormal vein. At Palm Clinic, EVLA is the treatment of choice for varicose veins although not all veins are suitable for EVLA. An initial ultrasound map determines whether EVLA is suitable and if not the varicose veins are treated with Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy. EVLA for varicose veins is covered by medical insurance in most instances. Palm Clinic is an affiliated provider to Southern Cross Healthcare and is covered by Sovereign, Tower, Unimed and most other insurers for varicose vein treatment where 'medical necessity criteria' are met.

At Palm Clinic we specialise in both Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy and Endovenous laser ablation so you can be assured you will receive unbiased advice on the correct non-surgical vein treatment for your varicose veins. See the link below for a fuller description of Endovenous Laser Ablation.

VNUS is another way of achieving endovenous ablation using radiofrequency but the costs are considerably higher and it is no more effective than Endovenous laser treatment which is a newer way of sealing varicose veins. Read more about Endovenous Laser Ablation...

Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy (UGS) was, (before the availability of EVLA), the varicose vein treatment of choice for most vein patients at Palm Clinic because it is extremely safe, can be used for all varicose veins, is at least as effective as varicose vein surgery, is well tolerated by patients and does not require time off work. UGS is also the cheapest form of varicose vein treatment. Palm Clinic of Auckland, New Zealand has published two papers on the treatment of varicose veins with Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy in the international journal "Dermatologic Surgery" demonstrating the high patient satisfaction with the technique. See our link below for a full description of Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy vein treatment procedure.

Compression hosiery can be used to relieve symptoms of varicose veins, but are generally too uncomfortable to be worn long-term.

Vein surgery consisting of high ligation and vein stripping has been the main varicose vein treatment method for the last 100 years but because of issues around safety and efficacy with a high varicose vein recurrence rate vein surgery is largely being replaced internationally by endovenous ablation techniques and UGS.