The Whiteley Clinic research improves the understanding of venous disease, allowing us to give our patients the very best care available, be available for giving advice to our fellow professionals and provide teaching and training opportunities either individually or to groups at suitable locations.
Research at The Whiteley Clinic is undertaken to improve and optimise the results from our investigations and treatments and to give our patients the very best care available. In addition, we use the results of our research and patient experience to provide advice and training to our fellow professionals who seek it. We also provide teaching and training opportunities for doctors and nurses interested in venous diseases such as varicose veins, thread veins and leg ulceration.
The research performed at The Whiteley Clinic and through our sponsorship at the University of Surrey, is varied across the whole spectrum of venous disease.
The main thrust of our research is the development and perfection of treating varicose veins and other venous reflux diseases with minimally invasive or “endovenous” techniques. This interest stems from us being the first to use endovenous surgery in the UK and we have not relinquished our leading position in this field. Research studies over the last decade have included optimising radiofrequency ablation using the RFITT system, proving the superiority of endovenous surgery over stripping in terms of current, auditing our long-term results of radiofrequency closure of varicose veins and showing how different endovenous techniques work including laser, glue, and mechanochemical ablation (MOCA).
One of the most exciting areas of our research, in which we are recognised as amongst the world leaders, if not the world leaders, is the investigation and treatment of pelvic venous reflux. As our research has shown this affects one in five women who have had children and who have varicose veins, and inadequate treatment leads to veins recurring again, this has got major implications for the proper treatment of varicose veins and venous conditions – particularly as very few people offer this service in the UK. We have also shown that these same pelvic varicose veins appear to be the cause of haemorrhoids – suggesting that current treatments of haemorrhoids might be incorrect and inadequate, and suggesting new ways in which better treatment might be performed.
As with all good research, our experience and findings have led to even more questions that have needed answering.
At the cellular and laboratory level, we have not only been looking at the histology of varicose veins and learnt lessons about how treatments work; we have also been using immunocytochemistry to look at the mechanism of damage of the vein wall during treatments.
Turning to the patient themselves, we have completed a Ph.D. project into reducing patient anxiety and pain during endovenous surgical procedures and have discovered that patient engagement and hand reflexology have significant advantages over other techniques of distraction.
One of our most important studies has been a retrospective review showing how endovenous surgery has cured 85% of patients presenting to us with previously diagnosed “incurable” leg ulcers.
Finally we have also been looking at the evolution of endovenous treatments over the last decade, showing how we can reduce the number of visits and devices used, reducing the cost of endovenous surgery, but without reducing the quality.
With the rapid changes that have occurred over the last decade in understanding venous disease including varicose veins, pelvic vein reflux, leg ulcers, and treatments with endovenous surgery, it is not surprising that anyone who is not involved in venous surgery full-time can fall behind the current optimal practice. As such, The Whiteley Clinic are very happy to offer doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals advice for difficult clinical cases or for guiding the optimal treatment pathways for certain patients.
If you would like to ask for any advice from one of venous specialists at The Whiteley Clinic, please contact us at The Whiteley Clinic head office, and one of our specialists will reply to your question. Questions by email, particularly with photographs are easiest for us to process and reply to. However urgent advice can be obtained by telephoning our switchboard and requesting a call back from one of our specialists.
e-mail: info@thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk
urgent advice: 01483 477180
Formal courses – The Whiteley Clinic runs several formal courses into different aspects of understanding venous disease, investigating venous disease and the endovenous treatment of varicose veins and other venous disease. These are primarily run through our teaching facility, The Clinical Exchange (www.theclinicalexchange.com). For more information, please contact info@theclinicalexchange.com
Talks, presentations and discussions – as part of the The Whiteley Clinic commitment to improving the standard of venous care in the UK, The Whiteley Clinic would be very happy to provide specialists for talks, presentations or discussions with groups of doctors, nurses or other health professionals. If you would like one of The Whiteley Clinic specialists to attend a meeting to give a talk, presentation be part of a discussion, please contact us with as much information about the meeting as possible on info@thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk
0330 058 1850
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