Last Updated on 30 March 2023 by Colette
This post features gifted experiences
I have had varicose veins for as long as I can remember – as well as being a bit of an occupational hazard (I’m a primary school teacher), they also run in my family so I didn’t really stand a chance! Just to add insult to injury, my three pregnancies will have also aggravated the existing condition so I find myself, in my early 40s, finally seeking out treatment for varicose veins.
My decision to get my varicose veins treated is probably equal parts discomfort and vanity. Because my varicose veins have been an issue for the whole of my adult life, I actually don’t know what discomfort and pain in my legs is related to my veins and what is down to being overweight or simply just getting older. What I do know is that my varicose veins are not going to get any better.
Veincentre Manchester specialises solely in varicose veins treatment and thread vein removal. I had my first consultation Dr Ananth Krishnan, Consultant Interventional Radiologist & Training and Education Lead back in November ahead of booking in to have my veins treated. This post details my experiences at that initial consultation and I’ll be sharing more details of the procedures and my results really soon!
Initial Consultation at Veincentre Manchester
I was super nervous ahead of my first consultation at Veincentre Manchester – partly worrying that maybe my veins wouldn’t be able to be treated after all but I think probably more excitement for finally taking the first steps to getting my varicose veins treated. I had made sure I read all of the information on the Veincentre website ahead of my visit so I knew what to expect from my consultation and also a bit about the treatments on offer.
Veincentre Manchester is right in the middle of town, just off St Anne’s Square making it a super convenient location especially if you’re travelling from a little further afield via public transport.
Dr Krishnan and Julie immediately put me at ease – they were both really friendly and I felt very comfortable chatting to them both. Dr Krishnan checked through my forms and queried any details about why I was choosing to have treatment on my varicose veins before carrying out a duplex ultrasound scan on my legs to check for any underlying causes for my varicose veins.
For the scan, I just had to remove my leggings and stand on a step in front of Dr Krishnan – he applied gel to my legs and then scanned my legs (this was much like the ultrasound you’d have in pregnancy). Your legs are scanned from your ankles to your groin so I would recommend wearing trousers and a top so you can just take your bottoms off and keep your top on (otherwise you’re going to be holding your dress up out of the way). I wouldn’t wear your best clothes as you’re probably going to have a bit of gel left on your legs no matter how carefully you wipe them. The website clearly says you don’t have to shave your legs for this but I think we all know I did!
Dr Krishnan talked me through what he could see on the screen – showing me what my veins should look like and then what they actually did look like and explaining that there were four different areas he would need to treat with Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) and that the rest would be treated with Foam Sclerotherapy.
Once I’d got dressed again, we talked through what Dr Krishnan had found and he drew some diagrams to explain what was causing my veins and what the treatment would do to fix this. He explained any risks (potential skin staining, blood clots) and what he would do to minimise these risks. He also answered my questions about how long recovery would take and if I would need to take any time off work.
I had planned to get the treatment done in January to avoid taking any time off school but Dr Krishnan rightly said, the sooner we get this done, the sooner my legs will look and feel better! He said that my timing was perfect for having lovely legs to show off in the summer months as bruising and any skin staining will have faded by that point. Prior to the consultation, I don’t think I had really considered how long the recovery would take from a cosmetic perspective, imagining that the veins would be treated, they’d magically disappear and it would all be over – but actually it does take quite a few months to really see the full effects of the treatment.
I left the initial consultation feeling excited about the treatment – about how my legs might feel once my varicose veins had gone and also how different they might look. I felt completely comfortable with Dr Krishnan and confident that he knew exactly what he was going to do improve the look and feel of my legs.
Commonly asked questions
As soon as I shared on my instagram that I was going to be having my varicose veins treated by Veincentre, I was inundated with questions so I’m going to answer some those now along with some other commonly asked questions about treatment for varicose veins. (I will answer questions relating to the treatment itself in the next post)
What are Varicose Veins?
According the the NHS, “Varicose veins are swollen and enlarged veins that usually occur on the legs and feet. They may be blue or dark purple, and are often lumpy, bulging or twisted in appearance.”
They can cause symptoms such as aching, heavy and uncomfortable legs, swollen feet and ankles, burning or throbbing in your legs, muscle cramp in your legs (especially at night) and dry, itchy and thin skin over the affected vein. For me – the aching, heavy and uncomfortable legs, swelling of my ankles, night time discomfort and itching were all present – though I don’t think I had necessarily associated all of those symptoms with the varicose veins.
Will my varicose veins get worse if they’re not treated?
Your varicose veins are certainly not going to get better or go away without medical intervention and, yes, they will almost definitely get worse over time.
Why is laser so much better than stripping veins?
The stripping of varicose veins is a pretty old school way of treating them and not really all that common any more. Dr Krishnan explained that the reoccurrence rate after stripping is really high as the whole procedure was done by eye whereas the more modern Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA) is done using ultrasound and is much more precise. It is far less invasive, involves minimal downtime and is much less painful then stripping.
How much does Varicose Vein treatment at Veincentre cost?
Veincentre have a clear and transparent pricing policy with fixed prices and no sneaky hidden extras so, whilst your treatment plan can only be set out once you’ve attended your initial consultation and had a duplex scan, their clear pricing table means you can have a really good idea of the top end of the pricing for your varicose vein treatment before you even set foot through the door.
Cosmetic treatment for varicose veins is not typically available on the NHS.
If you have any other questions about my initial consultation at Veincentre Manchester, leave me a message below and I’ll do my best to answer them!
You can read about my experiences of the treatment itself and recovery and you can check out my instagram stories highlight about my treatment too.
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