Varicose Veins Treatment in Auckland

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

Healthy leg veins have valves inside that allow blood to flow against gravity up the leg and back towards the heart. Varicose veins have faulty valves causing blood to move in the wrong direction back down towards the feet. The resultant pooling of  blood in the vein causes the typical symptoms of heaviness and aching.

Treatment closes the faulty varicose vein, diverting flow through the healthy deep veins meaning better drainage of the leg and resolution of symptoms.

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 early adulthood and pregnancy are often when we first notice varicose veins.
• During pregnancy the enlarged uterus can restrict drainage of the legs and cause varicose veins.
• As a result of occupations with prolonged standing, varicose veins can occur. e.g. hairdressers and people who work in retail.
• As we get older, varicose veins are more prevalent.
• Obesity is a risk factor for varicose veins

Varicose veins can cause heavy tired legs, throbbing or aching. This is more likely after prolonged sitting or standing and symptoms are usually worse at the end of the day. Other symptoms can include ankle swelling, 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 lower legs 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 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.

If you have ankle swelling caused by varicose veins it is sensible to treat the varicose veins as this will often improve the swelling.

The two main treatments are Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy (UGS), and Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA). You can find out more about these two procedures above – but generally speaking, UGS tends to be used for smaller, twisted veins; while RFA is used for larger, straighter veins. RFA is considered the gold-standard approach to treat Varicose Veins currently. Surgical stripping is an option but this is not considered the gold-standard due to increased risk and recovery time compared to RFA.

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 playing sport, heavy lifting and flying. You’ll be given easy-to-follow instructions for your post-treatment care. Those whose work involves repeated heavy lifting (>10Kg) will need to be on light duties for two 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, and a First Choice Provider to NIB Medical Insurance). If you don’t have health insurance, or your treatment is not medically necessary, you may wish to pay for the treatment yourself.

It’s a good idea to discuss any future treatment with your GP. However you do not need a referral to visit Palm Clinic – you can make an appointment directly with us. We will always write to your GP advising our management recommendations.

After the initial consultation where your Palm Clinic vein physician will examine your varicose veins you will then proceed to an ultrasound mapping of your deep and superficial veins which will provide an accurate diagnosis and help to define the best technique for your treatment.