Varicose vein treatment: what to expect

Most people recognise ropey leg veins as varicose veins, but there are other signs of underlying vein problems.

Even if you can’t see varicose veins, if your legs are restless, achy, swollen, crampy, discoloured or itchy, it’s worth getting them checked by a phlebologist – a doctor trained to diagnose and treat varicose veins using modern ultrasound-guided treatments.

In an initial no-obligation consultation, Cosmetic & Veins Clinic’s Dr Anuya Deshpande takes a full medical history of new patients and performs an ultrasound examination of your legs.

is enables her to make a thorough diagnosis and discuss and explain your options for treatment. If the symptoms are from varicose veins, the next step is to schedule an appointment for a more detailed mapping of veins with a sonographer. e Auckland-based adult was infected overseas, but didn’t become infectious until arriving in NZ. e case is now isolating and contact tracing is underway.

Once this scan is completed and reviewed, varicose veins are treated using a combination of Radio Frequency Ablation and Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy under local anaesthetic at her Tenth Avenue clinic. Treatment takes around two hours for two legs, and patients can walk out of the clinic after treatment, and get back to work the next day if they choose to. Compression stockings are provided and worn for a week following treatment.

A follow-up is booked for the week after treatment, and any remaining veins are treated in further sessions throughout the following year, with all follow-ups included in the cost of treatment. Veins and symptoms shrink and disappear in the weeks following treatment.

Medical criteria apply but some health insurance policies will cover the costs of treatments.

A measles case con rmed in New Zealand this week has potential exposures sites recorded in Tauranga.

Public exposure events between February 5-11 include a hotel, eatery, café and charter buses to and from Tauranga to a Waikato festival.

Te Whatu Ora spokesperson Dr Nick Chamberlain asks anyone present at these exposure events to stay alert to symptoms of measles and check if they are immune. Ring Healthline on: 0800 611 116 if you aren’t immune and may have been exposed.

For a full list of exposure events, see: www.health.govt.nz/yourhealth/conditions-and-treatments/ diseases-and-illnesses/measles/measlesexposure-events