Yes they can, but as mentioned the latest work suggests that this is less common than after open surgery. The figures suggest that about 7% of patients will get some recurrence at 3 yrs post op.

No. About 70 % of people with varicose veins are suitable for EVLT. You will need a consultation with Mr Chaloner or Mr Sweeney to decide if you are suitable.

The rate of recurrence of varicose veins after the laser procedure is approximately three percent. This is much better than the twenty to twenty- five percent recurrence rate seen with vein stripping.

EVLT is a minimally invasive way of treating varicose veins. Instead of making a cut in the groin and stripping the vein from the thigh, the surgeon uses a fine laser fibre to zap the vein from the inside.

A:While most laser treatments should not be considered permanent, laser vein removal effectively eliminates the treated vein from ever returning. Some patients do have a natural tendency to form spider veins, which will lead to the formation of new clusters in other areas, months or years following the initial treatment. We recommend that you have those areas treated as they appear during a touch-up or maintenance session.

Microsurgical procedures remove varicose veins permanently while sclerotherapy and laser treatments destroy the veins so they will not return once sclerosis is complete. However, no treatment can guarantee completely against any possibility that new veins may form. Some patients are at higher risk and some are at lower risk for developing future veins. Dr. Cunningham will be able to discuss your particular situation once he has had a chance to perform your initial examination.

Answer: Spider veins may be triggered by pregnancy or hormonal variations and sometimes result in itching, restless leg and minor aches and pains. Although surface veins are mainly a cosmetic problem, they can also be an indication of more serious vein disease deep below the surface.

Answer: We recommend regular follow-up visits because vein disease is progressive, and there is no cure. However, there are ways to minimize symptoms and increase your overall health by reducing the number of varicose veins in your legs. Call our offices to schedule your follow-up scans.

No. However leg veins are generally due to lifestyle, genetics or medical conditions, which will likely predispose you to have veins appear in other areas of the legs, over time, requiring further treatments.

EVLT is less painful than open surgery and people return to work faster than after open surgery. There is less bruising and there are no incisions in the top of the leg. EVLT can also be done under local anaesthetic without the patient being put to sleep.

Remarkably painless. Most patients find they need to take painkillers for a few days only. Sometimes patients can feel the treated vein as a tender cord in the thigh after the operation, but this feeling goes away within a couple of weeks.

Remarkably few. The commonest complication is a vein irritation that lasts a couple of weeks, but very few patients get this.

The ones effectively treated will not return, however due to genetics you may be predisposed to get more veins with time, in other areas of the face.

Not much. Lasers that can close the saphenous vein are diode lasers that fall in the narrow ranges 810 to 980nM of the infrared electromagnetic spectrum. Each company that has developed a laser for this purpose has tacked its own acronym on the procedure. From what I can tell, they all work about the same. The only difference comes when you take the same laser and aim it at spiders and other tiny veins.