Varicose vein treatment at Spire South Bank Hospital

Located in the city of Worcester, we provide comprehensive private hospital care for our patients across the West Midlands.

We can treat varicose veins if they’re causing pain or complications, or if you'd like to have them treated for aesthetic reasons.

You can get fast access to one of our expert consultants who’ll provide a treatment and recovery plan that’s tailored to you.

Your consultant will recommend a treatment based on the type of varicose veins you have, your general health and your desired outcome.

We have a range of treatments available. All have their own potential benefits and risks which your consultant will discuss with you.

The following procedures all use ultrasound imaging to guide your consultant when positioning the injection or catheter (a thin tube through which smaller instruments can be inserted):

• 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
• Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) – a tiny laser inside a catheter is inserted into the affected vein which emits bursts of energy to heat and seal the vein
• Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (USGFS) – a special foam is injected into the affected vein which blocks it

We also offer: Ligation and stripping – a surgical procedure to remove the veins.

Finding us

Spire South Bank Hospital is convenient for both the city of Worcester and junction 7 of the M5 which is just 2 miles away, as are Worcester Shrub Hill station and Worcester Foregate Street station. We have free parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultation

Your initial consultation will be in one of our private consultation rooms. During your appointment, your consultant will ask questions about:

• Your reasons for wanting or needing treatment, such as symptoms or aesthetics
• Your health and medical history
• What you’d like to achieve through treatment

Your consultant will also explain:

• If you need to have further tests and scans to assess your condition
• Which treatment is best for you and what it involves
• The anaesthetic you’ll need and your expected recovery timeline

Before proceeding with your treatment, you may need to have a pre-operative assessment. This is to check your overall health and fitness before having surgery.

On the day

Once you arrive for your treatment, you’ll meet your consultant again who’ll work with our nurses to get you ready for your procedure which will take place in our endoscopy suite.

The time taken for each procedure ranges from half an hour to an hour or longer if you’re having more veins treated.

Anaesthetic

Most procedures can be performed under local anaesthetic, meaning you won’t be able to feel anything in the area being treated. Alternatively, you may have a general anaesthetic (eg usually for surgical ligation and stripping) where you’ll be completely asleep.

After your procedure

You can usually go home a few hours after your treatment. It may be longer for general anaesthetic and if you’ve had more veins and/or both legs treated. You’ll be able to relax in the Endoscopy recovery unit or the ward until you’re ready to leave.

Occasionally, you may need an overnight stay. If so, you’ll have one of our private, en-suite rooms. All of our rooms have:

• Freeview TV
• En-suite
• Window
• Armchair
• WiFi

You can usually get back to your normal routine straight away after your treatment. However, if you’ve had ligation and stripping, or more veins treated, you may need to take a few days off work and rest. Your consultant may recommend compression stockings which can help improve blood flow while your body heals.

After six weeks, you’ll return to the hospital for a follow-up appointment so we can check that you’re recovering well and the treatment has worked.

Your recovery will be personal to you and you should always take your consultant’s advice. Here’s a typical recovery timeline as a guide: