Varicose veins are never “too big to treat” with laser

At The Whiteley Clinic we are dedicated to researching conditions relating to veins and the best way that they should be treated so that our patients receive the best results possible.

Many people are told their veins are too big to be treated however, research conducted by The Whiteley Clinic challenges this long standing view and proves whatever the vein diameter these can be treated.

In most people with varicose veins, the main veins that need treatment are called the Great or Small Saphenous Veins. Before 1999, doctors used to remove these by “stripping”. Time and time again, sadly we see patients who’ve had their veins stripped previously and the varicose veins reappear.
To view our 8 Year Results on Vein Stripping click here.

Initially we used “Radiofrequency Ablation” and then moved on to Laser, as this has several advantages.
The main one of these advantages being the size of vein that can be treated. Many doctors who treat varicose veins say there is a maximum size that can be treated with these new techniques. Often they say that if the vein is more than 15mm diameter, it has to be stripped. However, recently published work from The Whiteley Clinic shows that is incorrect.

Multi-pass technique to treat big varicose veins

Over the last 18 years we have developed a protocol called The Whiteley Protocol. This makes sure that we can treat all sorts of varicose veins optimally, and never have to resort to stripping.
For large varicose veins, (over 15mm) we have shown that we can predict who is going to need our special multi-pass technique. Using ultrasound, veins usually shrink away to a dot under pressure. However, large veins flatten – and this is called the “Smile Sign”.
When we see this, we know that we will have to treat the large section of vein with a multi-pass technique – ensuring every bit of the vein wall is treated. Using this technique, we have even closed an 80 mm vein!

Saphena Varix and varicose vein surgery

Usually, even in patients with varicose veins. Most great and small saphenous veins can only be seen with an ultrasound. Rarely it is possible to see massively dilated great saphenous veins in the groin. This is called a “Saphena Varix”.

For example, this patient pictured, was told that she had a hernia. However, the lump appeared when she stood up and completely disappeared on lying flat. Ultrasound showed a 35 mm great saphenous vein at the groin where it meets the deep vein. This is called a Saphena Varix. This can be cured using the multi-pass technique with endovenous laser.
As she has large varicose veins lower in her legs, causing brown skin changes, she is heading towards developing leg ulcers. By the NICE guidelines, varicose vein treatment is recommended and endovenous laser is one of the first line treatments.

Thanks to our development of the multi-pass technique, patients with large varicose veins can get the first line recommended treatment and say goodbye to problem varicose veins. Call us today on 0330 058 1850 to book a consultation.