Minimally invasive varicose vein treatments have transformed the way venous disease is managed in modern practice. Individuals often seek treatment to help manage swelling or aching symptoms, address cosmetic concerns and lower the risk of longer-term complications.
At The Vein Institute, we use the latest technology from Europe and the USA to provide the most advanced non-surgical varicose veins treatment options. Our team of highly skilled doctors are passionate about getting the best possible results and ensuring a positive experience for all patients. Book a consultation with our team to discuss your symptoms, undergo a detailed physical assessment and explore which treatment options may be appropriate for you.
Why Consider Treatment for Varicose Veins
Varicose veins can affect how your legs feel and function throughout the day. Many people notice symptoms gradually, often becoming more prominent after long periods of standing or sitting. These changes can interfere with work, exercise and overall comfort. Common concerns include:
- Persistent aching or throbbing, which may worsen towards the end of the day
- A feeling of heaviness, making the legs feel tired or fatigued
- Swelling around the ankles or lower legs, especially after activity
- Itching or irritation over the affected veins
- Cramping at night, often in the calves
While these symptoms vary from person to person, they can indicate underlying venous insufficiency. If left untreated, varicose veins may progress and lead to further concerns such as skin discolouration, inflammation, superficial bleeding or, in more advanced cases, ulceration.
If you’re wondering how to get rid of varicose veins, a clinical evaluation is essential, as it can reveal what’s driving your symptoms and whether minimally invasive treatment could form part of an effective management plan.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Non-surgical or minimally invasive treatments seal the vein shut. Once blood stops flowing through it, your body starts absorbing it. Eventually, the vein will dissolve from view. We offer several vein removal and sealing options in our clinics, each designed for a certain type of varicose vein.
EVLA uses laser energy to close a malfunctioning vein. The controlled heat causes the blood within the vein to coagulate, effectively sealing the vessel and stopping blood flow. The treatment is performed using regional anaesthetic so you should not feel the laser energy at work. Over time, the treated vein fades, and blood flow is redirected through nearby healthy veins.
With RFA treatments, a thin RFA fibre is inserted into the vein, where it releases radiofrequency energy in short, measured bursts. Instead of clotting the blood, the heat targets the collagen in the vein wall, causing it to contract and seal shut. As with EVLA, regional anaesthetic is used, and patients generally do not feel the heating process.
Medical adhesive treatments are used to seal malfunctioning veins, including those in the pelvic or vulvar region. After the vein is sealed, a small bandage is placed over the entry point, and most people are able to return to their usual activities immediately. Follow-up appointments are recommended to confirm that the treated veins have closed properly and are healing as expected.
Sclerotherapy closes damaged veins using a sclerosing agent. The sclerosant irritates the lining of the vein walls, prompting the walls to stick together and close. As healing occurs, the body redirects blood flow through normal veins and gradually absorbs the treated vessel. This treatment typically does not require regional anaesthetic. It usually takes less than 30 minutes, and most people are able to return to normal daily activities shortly afterwards.
ClariVein uses a thin catheter with a rotating wire tip that is inserted into the vein. As the tip spins 360 degrees, it distributes sclerosant evenly along the vein wall. Because it does not use heat, ClariVein avoids the risk of thermal injury and is generally associated with less bruising and discomfort during and after treatment.
Self Care
Self-care for varicose veins can help you manage your symptoms and slow the condition’s progression. However, home remedies for varicose veins are not treatments. This because they do not address the underlying issue of faulty vein valves.
Wear special compression stockings
This will help reduce swelling and improve circulation. In short, compression stockings work by gently squeezing the veins and stimulating the muscles to help veins get blood to the heart.
Avoid sitting or standing for long periods
Make sure to move frequently or take breaks. It is important because muscle movement moves the blood along the leg vein, so long periods of sitting or standing without moving can cause blood to pool – especially in unhealthy veins.
Diet
What you eat affects your veins. In that vein, following a low-salt diet can help prevent swelling caused by water retention. You should also ensure you’re getting enough Vitamins C, D, and E, as these are essential for healthy vein function.
Exercise
Exercise regularly to promote healthy circulation. We recommend doing at least 30 minutes of walking per day and going for a swim or taking a yoga class a couple of times per week.
Surgical Options
Surgical treatments for varicose veins involve removing the vein rather than sealing it. Since removal requires larger incisions and/or a greater number of them, surgeons typically perform it in a hospital under general anaesthetic. You can explore some of these surgical vein treatments below.
Ligation and Surgical Stripping
In this procedure, a vascular surgeon makes incisions at the two ends of the vein and then cuts and ties the vein off to seal it. Once blood stops flowing through, they will ‘strip’ the vein out of your body. As it’s a more extensive and invasive procedure than Endovenous Laser Ablation, it requires general anaesthesia and sutures.
Phlebectomy
There are two types of phlebectomy: ambulatory and transilluminated. In the former, your surgeon will make incisions along the vein, break it up into segments, and pull them out with a surgical hook. In the latter, they’ll use suction instead of a hook. Phlebectomy requires sutures, but surgeons may sometimes perform the treatments with regional anaesthetic instead of general.
Compare Treatments: Which Varicose Vein Removal Option is Best for You?
The table below is a simple snapshot of all the varicose veins treatment options. Because every patient’s vein pattern and symptoms are different, vein treatments are not a one-size-fits-all approach. The best treatment for varicose veins depends on your individual anatomy, symptoms and clinical assessment.
For more information about our costs, visit our Varicose Vein Treatment Pricing page.
Book an Initial Consultation for Varicose Vein Treatment
Whether you’re seeking care for varicose veins or spider veins, our doctors can help. A pre-assessment, physical examination and ultrasound scan are the first steps in understanding your vein health and exploring appropriate treatment options. During your initial consultation, our doctors take the time to discuss your medical history, lifestyle and any symptoms you may be experiencing, ensuring we have a complete picture of your concerns.
Get in touch with us today to schedule a consultation. We welcome patients at our clinics across Australia, including Sydney, Parramatta, Melbourne and Canberra.
Have questions about the treatments available at The Vein Institute?
We have listed some of our most asked questions to the right. If you would like to speak to someone please contact us on 0420102637 or make an appointment.
What type of non-surgical treatment options do you offer?
Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy: This treatment is non-surgical, doesn’t cause visible scarring, and requires virtually no downtime. We inject a specialised medication into the diseased veins to collapse it and allow the body to absorb it. After the procedure, the vein’s appearance usually improves over a few weeks and continues to improve for about three months.
Endovenous Therapy: Also known as endovenous laser ablation or radiofrequency ablation. We perform these treatments comfortably in our clinic with regional anaesthetic. They are minimally invasive methods to treat larger varicose veins and are considered the gold standard – requiring no hospitalisation or general anaesthetic.
Venaseal “Medical Super Glue”- Venaseal is a modern, non-surgical treatment. Specialists use a medical adhesive to treat varicose veins. As the medical superglue sets within minutes, there is a faster healing process than is sometimes associated with other treatments.
ClariVein: This is a special catheter with a 360 degree rotating tip. It delivers sclerosant deeper into the varicose vein wall, allowing us to use it on larger veins than traditional sclerotherapy allows.
Do you treat spider veins?
We do not treat spider veins. Instead, we specialise in varicose veins. However, if you do have spider veins, we have a sister clinic called Spider Veins Australia that can remove them for you.
What about traditional remedies or vitamins?
Supplements, while they may help alleviate the symptoms, they can’t fix the underlying issue of faulty valses. So, by extension, they can’t treat varicose veins. To actually eliminate varicose veins, there are a number of highly effective, minimally invasive treatments available today that require virtually no recovery time.
Do I need to prepare for the procedure?
There are a few steps you should take to prepare for treatment. First, be sure to eat something. Coming in on an empty stomach can make you feel faint.
Second, take any of your normal medications – unless your doctor specified otherwise.
Third, drink at least 2 glasses of water (around 500 ml). Staying hydrated will reduce the risk of blood clots and minimise common symptom side effects like aches and swelling.
Fourth, you should wear loose-fitting pants because we will wrap compression bandages after the procedure.
Lastly, avoid shaving your legs the morning of the treatment.
How long will the laser procedure take?
The procedure takes about 40 minutes to an hour, after which you can return home or work.
Will the laser procedure be painful?
We take every precaution we can to minimise pain. In fact, many patients state that treatment isn’t painful, but may be a bit uncomfortable. You may feel a pinch as we inject the regional anaesthetic. If you are anxious about treatment, you should discuss your concerns with your doctor. We can arrange a medication for you prior to the procedure to reduce anxiety. Just keep in mind that if you take this medication, you’ll need someone to take you home.
What is the recovery plan?
- Minimal to no downtime or time away from work. Your doctor may advise you to take a few days off if your job if it involves heavy lifting or long hours of standing.
- You can drive after the procedure if you haven’t taken any medications to reduce anxiety.
- We advise against long distance (5+ hours) travel for around 4 weeks after treatment.
- We recommend that all patients wear compression stockings or bandages for a minimum of five days after treatment to assist the healing process.
- If there is any discomfort following the treatment, your doctor may recommend pain reliever medications.
Do I need to follow up after treatment?
All patients must have a review scan within four weeks of the laser procedure to ensure that the laser treatment was successful in sealing the diseased veins. Following the laser treatment, a few sessions of sclerotherapy injections may be required to treat the more superficial veins.
Can I continue to train at the gym?
We recommend avoiding strenuous activities for 2-5 days after treatment. That includes weightlifting, running, and CrossFit. However, we do recommend continuing with mild to moderate intensity exercise such as yoga, swimming (after the injections/incision points heal), and walking.
How often do I need to treat varicose veins?
How frequently you should treat varicose veins depends on your vein condition and the treatment you receive. With sclerotherapy, you may need to have 2-3 treatments. With EVLA and RFA, one treatment is enough – these treatments only have a 2-5% recurrence rate after 5 years.
Note: If you have a family history of the disorder, there is a chance new varicose veins will form.
Will I have to take time off work or will it affect my duties?
Generally, you can get back to work the same day. However, if your job requires long hours of standing or heavy lifting, your doctor may advise against it.
What about flying?
You should not travel long distances (5+ hours) for around 4 weeks after your treatment. Please make sure to discuss any travel plans with your doctor during your consultation.
Will my private health cover the treatment?
Unfortunately, Private Health does not cover varicose vein treatment. Depending on your insurance policy and level of cover, you may be able to claim for general consumables. However, Medicare does offer rebates for consultations and treatments. Since all our doctors have GP qualifications, so you can access your rebates without a referral as long as you’re a Medicare card holder. We also offer a number of payment plans for the gap fee, which we would be happy to talk you through.
Can I get a COVID vaccine before treatment?
You can get a COVID-19 Vaccine before your varicose vein treatment, though we’d advise leaving 10 days between the vaccine and your scheduled treatment.