Endovenous laser treatment for varicose veins at Nuffield Health at St Bartholomew's Hospital

Varicose veins can be hereditary, tending to run in families. They can be worse during or after pregnancy, or if you are overweight. While they can be uncomfortable and unsightly, they don’t usually cause any serious health problems.

Veins carry blood to the heart. Along the length of all veins are valves, which only let the blood flow in one direction. The valves in the legs have to work harder to pump the blood that extra distance and problems occur when these valves become weak and don’t close properly. The blood flows backwards and pools in the veins. This causes the valves to weaken under the pressure and become enlarged and bulging in appearance - what we call varicose veins.

What happens during endovenous laser treatment?

A thin tube (a laser thread) is inserted into the vein through a small cut. The laser probe heats the vein from the inside, causing it to close. This is done with a local anaesthetic, which means the area to be treated is numbed so you won’t feel any pain. It takes about 45 minutes-1hour for this treatment on one leg. After the treatment, you will stay in the outpatient department for 1-2 hours and you will wear a support bandage for 7-10 days afterwards.

Recovery from endovenous laser treatment

Most people recover quickly from endovenous laser treatment.

Risks

As with any procedure there could be complications such as:

• Pain
• Bruising
• Scarring
• Blood clots (deep vein thrombosis)