Varicose vein treatment at Spire Elland Hospital

Spire Elland Hospital is a long-established private hospital providing care to our patients across Halifax and the surrounding Yorkshire areas.

We offer treatment for varicose veins if they’re causing pain or complications, or if you’d like them treated for cosmetic reasons.

You can expect fast access to a consultant of your choice, in our clean, modern facilities. Your consultant will recommend a treatment and recovery plan that’s personalised to your needs.

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

Our consultants offer a variety of treatments for varicose veins.

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
• 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.

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

Coming into hospital

Spire Elland Hospital is situated just 2 minutes’ drive from the M62 motorway. Public transport options are available. There’s free parking available for you and your visitors.

Meeting your consultant

Your appointment will take place in one of our consultation rooms. Your consultant will discuss:

• Your symptoms or reasons for wanting treatment
• Your general health and medical history
• If they recommend any additional tests or scans to help plan your treatment
• Your treatment and recovery plan
• What the treatment involves, along with potential benefits and risks
• The anaesthetic you’ll require

You may also need a pre-operative assessment before going ahead with treatment. This is to ensure you're fit and well enough for surgery.

When you arrive at hospital, your consultant and a nurse will get you ready for your treatment. Your procedure will take place in an operating theatre.

Treatment usually takes between half an hour to an hour. However, it may take longer if you’re having both legs or many 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 using local anaesthetic.

After your treatment

Once your consultant has finished, you’ll be able to relax in the recovery area or on a ward until you’re ready to go home – usually a few hours after your procedure.

If you’ve had general anaesthetic, you may need to stay overnight. If you do, you’ll stay in one of our private, en-suite rooms which have:

• TV/radio
• En-suite
• Window
• Armchair
• Wardrobe

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 what’s best, including whether you should wear compression stockings and for how long.

We’ll arrange a follow-up appointment four to 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: