Varicose Veins Clinic Melbourne – Expert Treatment & Personalised Care

What Are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged and swollen blood vessels that appear to bulge just underneath your skin’s surface. These blue or purple bulging veins most commonly appear on your legs, feet and ankles. Veins are blood vessels that play an essential role in our circulatory system, responsible for taking oxygen-depleted blood back to your heart for reoxygenation. When certain veins stop working or become damaged, instead of flowing back up to your heart, blood pools in the vein, causing them to stretch and bulge.

Varicose veins are distinct from spider veins, which are smaller red and purple lines that appear beneath the surface of the skin and tend to appear on other areas of the body, such as your arms and face. While varicose veins can be unsightly and uncomfortable, they are typically not a dangerous medical condition. In some cases, they can cause pain and discomfort, while in rarer cases, they can lead to more serious health issues. Many people who opt to treat their varicose veins do so for cosmetic reasons.

How are Varicose Veins Diagnosed?

To diagnose varicose veins, your clinician will evaluate your symptoms and assess the physical appearance of the problem veins. Depending on the case, this could involve a simple physical examination and a conversation about your medical history. Other times, we may use additional imaging tests such as ultrasounds. This helps us check blood flow and the structure of your veins.

We’ll first rule out any other vascular diseases or health conditions which may be contributing to your symptoms. The next step then involves designing an appropriate treatment plan for you. This will be based on your personal preferences, your budget and the varicose vein removal cost, as well as the location, structure, severity and number of varicose veins you want us to treat.

Treatment of Varicose Veins at Vein Care Melbourne

Laser therapy and minimally invasive injections are just some of the options we offer here at Vein Care. These procedures include:

• Sclerotherapy and Microsclerotherapy: These treatments involve using a micro-needle to inject a special solution into the affected vein. This collapses the vein wall, allowing it to be cleansed and sealed before being naturally absorbed into your body. Sclerotherapy is typically used for varicose veins, whist microsclerotherapy is indicated for spider veins.
• Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy: When problem veins aren’t as prominent or there are several within a small area, ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy (UGS) ensures accuracy when injecting a special solution to collapse and dissolve the veins.
• Endovenous Laser Therapy: This laser procedure for varicose veins involves heating affected veins using advanced laser technology. This causes problem veins to shrink and close, forcing blood to flow through other nearby veins instead. This procedure is well suited to people with larger varicose veins.
• Cyanoacrylate Vein Glue: Using ultrasound guidance, this newer treatment for varicose veins involves injecting a special type of glue into the problem veins, sealing them off and preventing the abnormal buildup of blood.
• Ambulatory Phlebectomy: Ideal for targeting more severe, visibly bulging varicose veins, this procedure removes problem veins by pulling them out through tiny incisions with a special hook. These incisions are small enough that stitches aren’t necessary.

These treatments are all quick and relatively painless, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. These walk in, walk out procedures generally have minimal side effects so, in most cases, you can return to regular activities on the same day. Depending on the treatment, you might experience some mild discomfort and tenderness. Full results are visible within 2 to 6 weeks.