Vascular Surgery

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Vascular Surgery (Varicose Veins & Thread Veins)

Vascular surgery is a specialist surgery which treats conditions of the vascular system (arteries and veins), this includes varicose veins and thread veins (spider veins).

Vascular surgery is performed at the Vale Hospital near Cardiff, treating key vascular conditions such as Varicose Veins (which form part of venous reflux disease), and thread veins (spider veins).

Find out more about the treatment of Thread Veins (Spider Veins) at Vale Healthcare…

Specialist Vascular Clinic - Varicose Vein treatment

The Vascular Clinic specialises in the treatment of Varicose Veins, and is based at The Vale Hospital (in the Vale of Glamorgan, just 15 minutes from Cardiff city centre and easily accessible throughout South Wales), where we hold weekly vascular clinics. These clinics are led by Mr Kevin Conway and Mr Mike Rocker, both Consultant Vascular Surgeons with extensive experience in both the NHS and as private consultants.

Your initial consultation…

Prior to the treatment of varicose veins - you will need to see a vascular surgeon during a consultation, who will assess your suitability for treatment and idendify the most appropriate approach to your vascular condition.

Your surgeon will discuss with you the options for treatment, and may advise that you need to have a scan to determine if you would be suitable for the non-invasive method of treatment for Varicose Veins.

The Vale Hospital is one of the few private hospitals in South Wales that uses the minimally invasive COVIDIEN closed procedure (using ultrasound) for the treatment of varicose veins, ensuring excellent results and a shorter recovery time than traditional varicose vein surgery. Traditional methods for treatment are also available. Find out more about non-invasive treatment…

In addition to your Varicose Veins, you may have a number of thread veins. These can also be treated - find out more…

Following your consultation…

If, following your initial consultation, you choose to progress treatment - you will then agree on a date for your procedure. Some Varicose Vein treatments are performed within our outpatient department, and others are performed in theatre. Please contact Vale Healthcare for more information on prices for treatment of Varicose Veins.

Treating varicose veins

There are a number of different treatment options for Varicose Veins. At Vale Healthcare, in addition to traditional methods, we also offer the minimally invasive COVIDIEN closure procedure, which uses ultrasound scanning to position a catheter into the diseased vein through a small opening in the skin. The tiny catheter is powered by radio-frequency (RF) energy, which delivers heat to the vein wall. As the thermal energy is delivered, the vein wall shrinks and the vein is sealed closed. Once the diseased vein is closed, blood is re-routed to the other healthy veins.

Varicose Vein treatment at Vale Healthcare's Vale Hospital - treatment for varicose veins Following the procedure, a simple bandage is placed over the insertion site and additional compression may be provided to aid the healing of the area around the varicose veins. Patients undergoing this procedure can usually resume normal activities within a day.

This procedure can be performed under local anaesthetic, and does not usually require an overnight stay. The procedure is approved with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

View our Frequently Asked Questions regarding the COVIDIEN closure procedure for treating varicose veins…

More information...

The Venous system

The venous system is made up of a network of veins, including:

Superficial veins (located close to the surface of the skin) (Thread Veins)
Deep veins (larger veins located deep in the leg)
Perforator veins (that connect the superficial veins to the deep veins)

The varicose vein treatment at Vale Healthcare treats venous reflex disease in the superficial venous system, which is often the underlying cause of painful varicose veins.

Venous reflux disease and varicose veins

Healthy leg veins contain valves that open and close to assist the return of blood to the heart. Venous reflux disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged / diseased. As a result, the veins do not close properly which leads to symptoms including…