Varicose vein treatment at Spire Nottingham Hospital

At Spire Nottingham Hospital, we provide comprehensive private hospital care and the latest generation imaging and diagnostic technology. We put our patients at the heart of everything we do.

If varicose veins are causing you pain or complications, or you’d like them removed for cosmetic reasons, we have a choice of consultants who can provide a treatment that’s personalised to your needs.

We offer fast access to consultations and treatments, in a clean, comfortable environment.

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

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

Coming into hospital

Spire Nottingham Hospital is situated five miles south from Nottingham city centre off the A52. Nottingham station is approximately 15 minutes by taxi from the hospital. There are 300 free parking spaces 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.

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. You’ll then be taken to an operating theatre.

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 a few 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 recovery ward or a day case unit 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:

• Freeview TV
• En-suite bathroom
• Walk-in shower
• Armchair
• Free WiFi
• Complimentary toiletries
• Robe and slippers
• Nurse call system

You can usually get back to your normal routine straight away after your treatment. However, if you’ve had ligation and stripping, or more veins treated, you may need to take a few days off work and rest. Your consultant may recommend compression stockings which can help improve blood flow while your body heals.

After four to six weeks, you’ll return to the hospital for a follow-up appointment so we can check that you’re recovering well and the treatment has worked.

Your recovery will be personal to you and you should always take your consultant’s advice. Here’s a typical recovery timeline as a guide: