Varicose Veins & Vascular Clinic in Birmingham

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Vascular medicine is a critical surgical subspecialty that looks to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the vascular system (also referred to as the circulatory system), which is responsible for carrying blood and lymph throughout the body. At Midland Health’s vascular clinic in Birmingham, we have a team of experts who can diagnose and treat issues with the circulation and vein function, including arteries and veins that are diseased. 

We regularly help patients with a range of vascular concerns from varicose veins, spider veins, venulectasias, restless leg syndrome, lymphoedema, minor varicose lesions and leg ulcers. Our vascular consultants and surgeons also offer treatments for venous insufficiency at all stages of its development. 

If you have varicose veins or spider veins that are causing you concern, it is paramount they are treated before they develop and restrict your blood flow more considerably. This is why our vascular experts offer consultation at short notice where they will compassionately advise you on the best course of action. 

At Midland Health’s state-of-the-art private vascular clinic in Edgbaston Village, you will have access to high-quality healthcare available without doctor referrals or lengthy waiting times, allowing you to benefit from the medical expertise you need with pay-as-you-go treatment systems.

Vascular Issues We Can Help With

Our highly-qualified vascular team in Birmingham can diagnose and treat a wide variety of venous conditions and problems, including but not limited to: 

  • Claudication (pain in calves on walking) - This is due to the ‘furring’ of arteries in the legs which can lead to problems with walking long distances. 
  • Aneurysms - A weak spot or ballooning in the artery wall. The wall of the aneurysm can become thin enough to rupture and, in these situations, need urgent attention. 
  • Aortic Aneurysms - Occur when a bulge appears in the wall of a major blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart and towards the rest of the body.
  • Lymphoedema - A chronic, long-term condition that demonstrates issues within the lymphatic system as it causes the body’s tissues to swell, particularly the arms and legs.
  • Minor Varicose Lesions - Also known as birthmarks, are common abnormalities of the skin falling into three categories: Hemangiomas, Vascular Malformations, and Pyogenic Granulomas.
  • Restless Leg Syndrome - This can be a direct symptom of venous insufficiency in the legs.
  • Spider Veins - Medically referred to as Telangiectasias, spider veins are pink and red broken or dilated blood vessels at the surface of the skin.
  • Varicose Veins - Swollen veins that become visible on the legs due to leaking valves are known as varicose veins. They can cause discomfort including aching, itching and throbbing, as well as causing swollen ankles and skin discolouration. If left untreated they can go on to cause leg ulcers. 
  • Venous Leg Ulcers - After a minor injury, there is a risk of problems developing with blood circulation in your leg veins. As the blood pressure increases here, it can damage tiny blood vessels and cause your skin to become extremely fragile. 

Compare Us To The NHS Vascular Waiting Times!

View the official NHS waiting times for Vascular services.

Our Vascular Services & Treatments

Midland Health has a team of leading specialists in vascular surgery who can advise you on the best treatment for your vascular concerns and venous insufficiency. At our vascular clinic in Birmingham, we offer a range of treatments and minimally invasive procedures, including:

Sclerotherapy

Used to treat small visible veins and spider veins, sclerotherapy injects a sclerosing agent into the intended veins. This agent has a sticky consistency and closes these veins, causing the blood flow to be blocked.

Foam Sclerotherapy

Similar to sclerotherapy, a sclerosing agent foam (Sodium Tetradecyl Sulphate) is injected into the affected veins to encourage them to clot.

What does the procedure involve?

The procedure involves the injection of a drug (which maybe mixed with air to produce a foam) into the affected vein. This causes the vein to be scarred on the inside causing the vein to harden and eventually over time to disappear.  

What happens after treatment?

After the procedure the treated leg will be bandaged and you will be wearing surgical stockings.

You will need to keep the surgical stockings and bandages on for 5 days and night. After this both the bandages and stockings can be removed and you will need to only wear the stockings during the day time for a further 5 days. It is recommended to wear the stockings after this time if you find it help with discomfort. You may need multiple (many) treatments to remove the visible veins.

You must not travel 4 weeks after the procedure and in particular expose the area treated to lots of sunshine.

Can I travel after the procedure?

You must not travel 4 weeks after the procedure and in particular expose the area treated to lots of sunshine.

Is there any side effect?

There are well recognised effects and complications after the procedure including:

  • Bruising and discolouration along the course of the vein is common. If it is painful you will need to take painkillers such as paracetamol or anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen.
  • The veins become hard and lumpy over the next few days. This can take some time to disappear.
  • Brown discolouration over the treated skin occurs frequently. This can take many months (typically 6-24 months) to disappear. However this can occasionally be permanent.
  • Deep vein thrombosis can happen but is rare (<1%).
  • New thread vein may appear after the treatment.
  • You may experience floaters in the eye or may exacerbate migraine.
  • Very occasionally you may get an ulcer at the site of the injection.

Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT)

A minimally-invasive treatment that involves your surgeon using a medical-grade laser wire to heat the vein under ultrasound imagery. This non-surgical procedure does not require general anaesthetic and allows patients to return to their normal routine the same day. The EVLT treatment has a 98% success rate in treating varicose veins, with most patients seeing an instant improvement.

Before

After

What is EVLT?

EVLT or endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) is a method of treating varicose veins without surgery. Instead of tying and removing the abnormal veins they are heated by a laser. The heat kills the walls of the veins and the body then naturally absorbs the dead tissue and the abnormal veins are destroyed.

Are my veins suitable for EVLT?

Almost all patients with varicose veins are suitable for EVLT. Those few who are not suitable (usually those with small recurrent veins after previous surgery) can usually be managed with just foam sclerotherapy.

What does the procedure involve?

You lie on a couch and your leg is cleaned and covered with drapes. Depending on which veins are to be treated, you may be on your back or your front.

Endovenous means inside the vein, so the next thing the doctor has to do is to get inside your vein. A small amount of local anaesthetic is injected into the skin over the vein and a needle is inserted into it. A wire is passed through the needle and up the vein. The needle is removed and a catheter (thin plastic tubing) is passed over the wire, up the vein and the wire removed.

A laser fibre is passed up the catheter so its tip lies at the highest point to be heated. A large quantity of local anaesthetic solution is then injected around the vein through multiple tiny needle pricks. The laser is then fired up and pulled down the vein over about 5 minutes. You will hear a warning buzzer ringing and may smell or taste burning but won’t feel any pain. The laser and catheter are removed and the needle puncture is covered with a small dressing.

The treatment takes about 20-30 minutes per leg. You may also have some foam sclerotherapy or some avulsions undertaken and a compression stocking is then put on.

What happens after treatment?

Soon after your treatment you will be allowed home. It is advisable not to drive.
You will have to wear the stockings for up to two weeks. During the first week you will need to wear your stockings day and night. During this time you may take off your stocking after 48 hours for a shower and then put it back on. You may then take your stockings off once a day for showers. After the first week you only need to wear your stocking during the daytime.
You should be able to go back to work soon depending on your profession.

Most patients experience a tightening sensation along the length of the treated vein and some get pain in that area around 5 days later but this is usually mild. Normal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen are normally sufficient to relieve it.

Will I need further treatment?

Additional treatment for the varicosities can be either by avulsions or foam sclerotherapy. These additional treatments can be undertaken at the time of the EVLT or more usually after a delay of 4-6 weeks.

Avulsions are undertaken after local anaesthetic solution has been injected around the veins to numb the area. Small incisions are made over the veins and they are teased out with a crochet hook. You may require many small incisions but they heal easily without stitches and with minimal scarring.

Foam sclerotherapy is the commonest means of dealing with residual varicose veins after EVLA and is highly effective for these.

Will I need further treatment?

Additional treatment for the varicosities can be either by avulsions or foam sclerotherapy. These additional treatments can be undertaken at the time of the EVLT or more usually after a delay of 4-6 weeks.

Avulsions are undertaken after local anaesthetic solution has been injected around the veins to numb the area. Small incisions are made over the veins and they are teased out with a crochet hook. You may require many small incisions but they heal easily without stitches and with minimal scarring.

Foam sclerotherapy is the commonest means of dealing with residual varicose veins after EVLA and is highly effective for these.

What are the complications?

Serious complications after EVLT are uncommon. They can include:
Thrombophlebitis: EVLT works by heating the wall of the vein and an inevitable and deliberate response to the heat is an inflammation of the vein wall. You may feel the vein that has been treated become hard and tender. Varicose veins that feed from the treated vein may also become hard and lumpy as some blood clot forms within them. This clot is not dangerous and your body will naturally absorb it over a few weeks.

Nerve damage: As nerves can lie alongside the veins these may also become damaged by the heat or by avulsions and a few patients notice small patches of numbness on their skin. These usually resolve over a few months.

Burns: Although it is possible to burn the skin with the laser in practice this is very rare indeed.
DVT: A DVT is a blood clot in the deep veins in the leg. It is a recognised complication of surgery and can be dangerous if the clot breaks away and travels to the lungs. The risk of getting a DVT after EVLT is very low (in around 0.5-1% of cases )

Recurrence: Varicose veins can come back with any type of treatment. The risk over your lifetime of veins coming back is up to 20%.

Can I travel after the procedure?

You must not travel 4 weeks after the procedure and in particular expose the area treated to lots of sunshine.

Our Vascular Clinical Team

Our private vascular service is led by our consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon Professor Tiwari who has a particular expertise in the minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins and lower limb arterial disease including patient with diabetic foot problems.

Professor Tiwari received specialist registrar training in London and Essex in both general and vascular surgery, where he undertook a one year Vascular fellowship at the prestigious Westmead Vascular Unit in Sydney, Australia where he learnt endovascular techniques to allow the treatment of patients using minimally invasive methods including angioplasty and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR). He worked as a locum consultant in the vascular unit at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Professor Tiwari was appointed to University Hospital Birmingham (formerly Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital) in Jan 2011. He was instrumental in the development of the complex endovascular program and the diabetic foot service. He has successfully supervised a research fellow looking at the diabetic foot.

In addition, Professor Tiwari is also the Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Birmingham allowing him to help train the next generation of vascular surgeons and consultants. He is also a member of the British Society of Endovascular Therapy, the British Medical Association and the European Society of Vascular Surgery.

Why Choose Midland Health?

At Midland Health, we bring medical excellence without the lengthy waiting time to individuals and families in the West Midlands. Our team of experienced vascular consultants have access to cutting-edge medical facilities at our private vascular clinic in the heart of Edgbaston Village, just outside of Birmingham City Centre. By choosing us as your medical care provider, you benefit from: 

  • Access to the latest, innovative equipment and technology 
  • Appointments with the top vascular consultants in Birmingham 
  • No need for referrals or waiting lists 
  • The option of same-day and next-day appointments (subject to availability) 
  • A modern, innovative private clinic in Edgbaston
  • A straightforward pay-as-you-go payment system
  • Excellent customer service and satisfaction 

Prices

Varicose Veins New Consultation and Scan

£299

New Vascular Surgeon New consultation

£250

Follow-Up Appointment and Scan

Free of Charge

(this is offered to patients 4-6 weeks after they have had varicose veins procedure)

Varicose Veins Endovenous Ablation Procedure : One Leg

£2499

Carotid Artery Ultrasound Doppler Scan

£250

(both sides)

DVT scan with Sonographer

£150

Leg Artery Ultrasound Scan

£250

(one leg)

One Stop Varicose Veins Clinic with Ultrasound Scan

£299

Foam/injection sclerotherapy First Treatment

£499

Foam/injection sclerotherapy Second Treatment

£449

(if you bring your stockings)

Foam Sclerotherapy

£999

With our pay-as-you-go model, it is easy to see a specialist without lengthy waiting times. If you have any vascular concerns or varicose veins that are giving you cause for concern, give our Birmingham team a call on 0121 769 0999. Alternatively, use the button below to arrange an appointment with our specialist vascular surgeons. 

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