Varicose vein removal in 20 minutes

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By Jane Elliott Health reporter, BBC News

Alina's veins caused her horrendous pain

Every day when Alina Praneviciene finished work her legs ached.

Sitting still became a complete agony for the 37-year-old nanny.

And after a lengthy car journey, to her homeland of Lithuania, Alina was in so much pain she could not even walk for a short time.

This was when she decided she had get treatment for her increasingly painful varicose veins.

Pain levels

Luckily for Alina a new 'walk in, walk out' service had been set up at Barts and the Royal London Hospital, near her London home.

An operation that was not only speedier, but less invasive and from which she recovered within hours.

They gave me medication in case it was sore but I did not need them as the pain was worse before the operation Alina Praneviciene

Her surgeon, Mr Paul Flora, explained that in the past varicose vein removal had been much more of an ordeal.

"Before this the operation would have been done by stripping - literally removing the veins," he said.

In the past, although done as a day case procedure, it could have a recovery period of up to six weeks, meaning more time off work.

"Now, instead of stripping the veins we put a catheter inside and heat it," said Mr Flora.

"That actually blocks the vein, but the vein stays inside the body so less surgery is needed.

"And there are two ways of heating the catheter - one is laser and one radio frequency.

"With the laser method you have to be in a room that is laser spec and that usually means a theatre, but with radio frequency (RF) you can do it in any room, so we can move the operation to outpatients."

RF a form of electrical energy that generates heat by stimulating the area in and around the tissues and veins.

Delivery of this thermal energy directly to the vein wall causes it to contract and seal shut.

Once the diseased vein is closed, blood is re-routed to other healthy veins.

Speedy treatment

"With this you just walk in and walk out," said Mr Flora.

"There is none of this business where you sit in a bed waiting to be admitted and then go back to a bed.

"You literally walk in and you walk out of the operating theatre and 15-20 minutes later, provided you are pain free you go home."

He said this had certainly been the case for Alina.

VARICOSE VEINS Varicose veins are swollen and enlarged veins. They are usually a blue or dark purple and can be lumpy, bulging or twisted in appearanceVaricose veins develop when the small valves inside the veins stop working properly Women tend to be more affected than men, with approximately 30% of women developing varicose veins in their lifetime, compared to just 15% of men.

"She works as a nanny and she felt she could go back to work the next day," he said.

Alina, who had the surgery in July, said her recovery had been remarkable.

"All my leg was really bad and had big visible bubbles on the vein. It was uncomfortable and it looked bad," she said.

"You can live with how it looks, but not the pain. Every single day before surgery my pain levels were a seven out of 10.

"Afterwards they gave me a special stocking to where which I used for two weeks and that helped and they gave me medication in case it was sore but I did not need them as the pain was worse before the operation."

Mina Patel found working painful

Mina Patel aged 53, who also had the new technique said her veins had been troublesome for years.

She was left unable to get a good night's sleep or take an overseas holiday.

Ms Patel said: "The constant pain in my leg was similar to the most severe labour pain. I was unable to help my husband at our shop as I had to spend a lot of time sitting down to rest my leg.

"My veins were a true pain.

"The operation was painless; they just numbed my leg. I am feeling good and there is just a little mark on my leg.

And Mr Flora said only a very small percentage were unsuitable for this type of speedy treatment.

"Only if they are unfit and you need an anaesthetist, or if they are heavily built - as you might have to extend the incision slightly and so are better doing it in an operating theatre."