Varicose vein treatment at Spire Fylde Coast Hospital

Spire Fylde Coast Hospital offers comprehensive private hospital treatments and care to patients from Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre and the North West of England.

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.

We offer a variety of treatments for varicose veins. Treatment choices available to you will depend on the type of varicose veins you have, what you’d like to achieve and your general health. Your consultant will discuss which treatment is best for you at your initial appointment.

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
• ClariVein® – a catheter is inserted into your vein and the end rotates and releases a chemical which seals the vein

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

Every treatment has its own benefits and risks which your consultant will explain to you during your consultation.

Finding us

The hospital is located a 10 minute drive from Junction 4 of the M55 and close to Stanley Park and Blackpool Victoria Hospital. 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.

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 a private room or a day case ward until you’re ready to go home – this is usually three to five 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
• Telephone
• En-suite
• Free WiFi

Most people can resume normal activities immediately after varicose vein surgery. For ligation and stripping, you may need to rest and take some time off work before gently returning back to your normal routine.

Your consultant may advise that you wear compression stockings for up to a week.

You’ll return to the hospital for a check-up appointment two weeks later, so we can ensure that you’re healing as expected and your veins have improved.

Although everyone’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline: