Varicose vein treatment at Spire St Anthony's Hospital

Spire St Anthony’s Hospital is a large private hospital providing an extensive range of treatments and services for our patients in Sutton and the surrounding Surrey and south London area.

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
• 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

We also offer:

• Hook phlebectomy or microphlebectomy – small incisions are made close to the vein and a hook-shaped instrument is used to remove the affected veins through the incisions
• Ligation and stripping – a surgical procedure to remove the veins

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

Finding us

Spire St Anthony's Hospital is close to Sutton and Epsom. Sutton and Cheam stations are both on the Victoria and London Bridge line. Worcester Park station is on the Waterloo to Epsom line. 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 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 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:

• TV
• En-suite
• Window
• Armchair
• Telephone

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 two 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: