Varicose vein treatment at Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital

At Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital, we take pride in providing a high standard of private hospital care for over 20 years.

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
• VenaSeal™ closure system – a catheter is inserted into the affected vein and a special glue is released at regular intervals down the vein to seal it closed

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

Finding us

We're located in Kent, six miles from the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells and the nearest station is Tunbridge Wells. 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.

Depending on the treatment and anaesthetic you’re having, you’ll be taken to an operating theatre, day surgery theatre or a consulting room.

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 around a couple of 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 a private room 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:

• En-suite shower/bath
• Satellite television
• Free WiFi
• Telephone
• Nurse call system

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: