Varicose veins: Gold-tipped laser zaps them in minutes but NHS patients given ...

Caroline Gard was on a walking holiday in New Zealand when she noticed the front of her right shin had suddenly become very red and inflamed.

The redness died down after a couple of days, and she put it down to the heat. But when she returned home a month later, she noticed she’d developed a knobbly varicose vein running down the inside of her right calf.

Over the next few years, the vein continued to flare up if she stood or walked for long periods.

Then, two years ago, the vein became more of a problem. ‘It started flaring up every month or so and would really ache and throb,’ says Caroline, 57, a retired teacher from Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. 

‘I had to cover it up with trousers because it looked so angry. Sometimes I even had to miss a day’s walking because I couldn’t face aggravating it.’
When Caroline saw her GP, he confirmed that she had varicose veins.

Doctors don’t fully understand what causes them, although there is known to be a family link.

The condition is caused by faulty valves in the calf veins. The valves are meant to ensure blood reaches the heart, by preventing it falling back down the leg.

If the valves fail, blood starts to pool in the veins, causing inflammation. This can lead to complications such as ‘varicose’ eczema and even ulcers.

Phlebitis, which usually lasts two or three weeks but can take longer to clear up, is extremely painful.

Initially, Caroline was given stockings to wear and a cream for the itchiness. But to prevent the problem recurring, the varicose vein must be tackled. 

Her GP explained that the standard NHS treatment was vein stripping, where the faulty vein is pulled out through an incision in the groin and knee.

‘I had a friend who’d had vein stripping and I knew it was really painful and you’re laid up for six weeks to recover,’ says Caroline. ‘I just couldn’t face anything that would stop me being active.’

Another option is a laser treatment — there are several different techniques, but essentially heat is used to cause the vein to collapse so it can’t fill with blood again.

Caroline had heard about this from friends, but knew she’d have to pay for it privately — and with a starting cost of around £1,000, this was too much.

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