Varicose vein treatment at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals Murrayfield and Shawfair Park

If varicose veins are causing you pain or complications, or you’d like them removed for cosmetic reasons, we have a choice of consultants who can provide a treatment that’s personalised to your needs.

We offer fast access to consultations and treatments with consultant surgeons.

Your consultant will assess your varicose veins, general health and your intended outcome in order to recommend the most appropriate treatment for you.

Our consultants offer the following treatments for varicose veins:

• Radiofrequency ablation (eg Venefit®, also called VNUS closure) – a probe inside a catheter is inserted into the affected vein and uses radiofrequency energy to heat and seal the vein
• Hook phlebectomy – small incisions are made close to the vein and a hook-shaped instrument is used to remove the affected veins through the incisions
• Ligation and stripping – a surgical procedure to remove the veins

Your consultant will explain the potential benefits and complications for each procedure before you decide to go ahead.

Getting here

Varicose vein treatment is carried out at Spire Shawfair Park Hospital. The hospital is to the south east of Edinburgh city centre, conveniently located close to the City Bypass and the Royal Infirmary. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultation

You’ll meet your chosen consultant in a private consultation room. They’ll discuss:

• The reasons why you’d like treatment
• Your medical history
• Which treatment will be best for you
• How the procedure will be performed and what anaesthetic you’ll need
• The potential benefits and risks

Your consultant may need you to have additional tests or scans before they can recommend the next steps.

You may also need a pre-operative assessment to check your overall fitness and health before the procedure.

When you arrive at hospital, your consultant and a nurse will get you ready for your treatment. Subject to which procedure and anaesthetic you’re having, it will take place in an operating theatre. All varicose vein procedures are carried out at our Shawfair Park Hospital.

Treatment usually takes between half an hour to an hour. However, it may take longer if you’re having both legs or multiple veins treated.

Anaesthetic

So that you won’t feel any pain during the procedure, you’ll have either:

• A general anaesthetic – where you’ll be asleep
• A local anaesthetic – so the area being treated will be numb

For ligation and stripping, which is a surgical procedure to treat varicose veins, you’ll probably have general anaesthetic. All other treatments are usually performed with local anaesthetic.

After your treatment

Once your consultant has finished, you’ll be able to relax until you’re ready to go home – usually four to six hours after your procedure.

If you’ve had general anaesthetic, you may need to stay overnight.

After you leave hospital, you may need to take some time off work while you recover. However, most people can carry on with their normal routine without any problems. Your consultant will advise you on the next steps, including whether you should wear compression stockings and for how long.

We’ll arrange a follow-up appointment six weeks after your procedure to check that you're recovering as expected and assess how the treatment went.

Here’s a typical recovery timeline, although you should always follow your consultant’s advice and bear in mind that everybody is different: