Varicose Vein Clinic in Dorchester

At Winterbourne Hospital, our varicose vein specialists offer a wide range of private treatments for varicose veins for patients based in Dorchester, Weymouth, Bridport, Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole, South Somerset, and the surrounding areas.

If you have varicose veins that are causing you discomfort, or causing you to be self-conscious, they can be treated. Book your treatment online today and you could have your initial consultation within as little as 48 hours.

Varicose veins are enlarged and twisted veins in your leg, and can occur from the top of the leg down to the ankle. They are often bulging or lumpy. Although not a medical emergency, if left untreated they often become more noticeable, and cause increased discomfort.

The symptoms of varicose veins can include:

• Aching legs
• Swollen legs, feet, and ankles
• Muscle cramps
• Throbbing in your legs
• Dry and itchy skin over the affected area (varicose eczema)

Anyone can develop varicose veins, although your chance of having them increases if you are female, someone in your family has varicose veins, are pregnant, or if you do a lot of standing day-to-day.

Private varicose vein treatment not only removes uncomfortable and unsightly veins, but it will also help reduce further complications associated with them, which can include bleeding or skin changes.

Sometimes, a build-up of pressure in a vein can also damage the skin, resulting in a venous leg ulcer. Our highly experienced Consultants offer a service to treat those who have developed leg ulceration, from whatever cause.

At Winterbourne Hospital in Dorchester, we have the experience and expertise to ensure the highest standard of care and outcome for our patients. When you choose to go private with Winterbourne Hospital, you will benefit from:

• Fast access to treatment with minimal waiting time
• Advice and treatment from a highly experienced Vascular Surgeon
• ‘Walk in walk out’ minimally invasive treatment techniques
• Consultant-led treatment plans tailored to your individual needs with excellent results
• Treatment for all varieties of venous conditions, from superficial spider veins to complex recurrent varicose veins
• Exceptional service, with 99.1% of our patients having said their overall experience of our service was good or very good

Seeking treatment for your varicose veins means you should no longer have varicose veins and your symptoms should improve. Treatment should help prevent the symptoms and complications that varicose veins cause.

All procedures are performed as ‘walk in walk out’ or ambulatory procedures which are minimally invasive. When you first meet with your consultant, they will complete an initial assessment and scan, enabling them to assess your varicose veins and tailor your treatment to a procedure most suitable for you. 

Treatment options include:

• Radiofrequency ablation – where the faulty veins are closed using radiofrequency energy to heat the wall of the vein so that it closes
• Ligation - the faulty junctions where blood wrongly enters veins lying beneath the skin. This usually requires an incision at the top of the leg or behind the knee
• Removal of veins in segments – Phlebectomies
• Laser ablation – heating the wall of the vein so that the vein closes which is usually done via a single puncture per vein to be treated
• Endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) - a laser fibre is passed into the problem vein via your groin and ablation is used to destroy it
• Venaseal – where the veins are glued together to seal them
• Injection of chemical irritants into the veins to destroy the vein and close its channel (foam sclerotherapy). This may be performed in clinic when treating less extensive areas or small-sized varicose veins. This can also be combined with the other treatments

VenaSeal (also known as endoluminal bio-adhesive closure) is a cyanoacrylate glue, and is the most recent innovation in varicose vein treatment that uses a medical glue to seal off varicose veins. The procedure is minimally invasive and performed under local anaesthetic.

The VenaSeal glue is placed into the vein through a fine catheter and rapidly seals the vein shut. The treatment takes approximately 45 minutes. After treatment, the blood in the faulty veins will be diverted to the many normal veins in the leg.

Medical glues have been successfully used for over 50 years in a wide variety of medical applications, and VenaSeal has been proven as clinically safe and effective in multiple clinical studies. 

In addition to clinically proven results, VenaSeal has several benefits over traditional varicose vein treatment including the surgeon being able to treat two or more veins in one session, no need for compression stockings (although some patients may benefit from wearing post procedure compression stockings) and a quicker recovery and return to normal activities.

You don’t have to put up with your varicose veins. If you’d like to know how one of our experienced specialists can help you, book online today or give us a call.

Accessing private healthcare is easy, whether you choose to pay directly or use private medical insurance. 

If you are paying for your own treatment, we offer affordable, fixed-price packages with aftercare included, and flexible payment options that can help you spread the cost of your care. 

You can choose a repayment time period to suit you, from one to five years. If approved, you can take advantage of interest-free credit when you choose a 10-month plan, or 14.9% APR if you pay over a longer period.

If you have insurance, we can arrange direct settlement with your insurance provider, although you should check in advance to see if your treatment is covered. For more information, visit our private medical insurance page.

Content reviewed by Consultant Vascular Surgeon Mr. Nicholas Lagattolla in June 2023. 

Sources

Benville Vein Practice
Varicose veins, NHS