November 2005

Navigation

	Home
	April 2005
	May 2005
	June 2005
	July 2005
	August 2005
	September 2005
	October 2005
	November 2005
	IMPORTANT – AXA-PPP insured patients
	Private Medicine Insurance

Article Novmember 2005
Perforating Veins and Varicose Veins
	Eighth in a series of articles by Mark Whiteley of The Whiteley Clinic, about Varicose Veins and the treatments available for them. Here he explains about Perforating Veins – why they are important to treat. People who suffer from varicose veins are usually only offered a stripping operation of the main vein, followed by “phlebectomy” – removal of the bulging veins on the surface. Unfortunately, this traditional approach results in a high risk of getting the varicose veins back again. At the Whiteley Clinic we have spent years researching why veins come back again and how to stop this.
We have found that just under half the patients with varicose veins have “perforating veins”. These are veins that connect the deep veins with the surface veins. Usually they should pump blood inwards. When they go wrong, these perforating veins allow blood to shoot outwards and into the varicose veins (See picture).
	Most surgeons ignore these perforating veins, hoping they will close after a treating the main vein by stripping, VNUS or laser. However, a 4 year study completed recently at The Whiteley Clinic showed that if the perforating veins are left, they still cause problems. We have shown that we can get rid of perforating veins by using a key-hole method of clipping the veins – a system called SEPS (Sub-fascial Endoscopic Perforating vein Surgery). If you missed the previous articles in this series, you can find them on www.treatment-for-varicose-veins.co.uk