What are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are seen on the surface of the legs as bulging veins, usually below the knee but often above the knee. They can appear blue, green or just as raised bulges of skin colour, depending on how deep the veins are inside.

Although they look unsightly, the varicose veins themselves are not the problem. They are a sign that the valves are not working in the major veins deep in the legs.

Traditionally, doctors have made decisions as to whether varicose veins are severe or not just by looking at them. This has shown to be a nonsense as, just by looking at varicose veins, they are unable to tell exactly what is going on in the underlying veins. Therefore, all true experts in vein surgery will insist on having a duplex ultrasound scan before any treatment is discussed or planned (see www.veins.co.uk/new_tests_for_veins.htm).

A duplex ultrasound scan is an ultrasound scanner which has two functions. The first is an ultrasound like is used to see babies in pregnant mothers. This gives a black and white picture so that the veins can be seen in the leg. There is no radiation and no needles and this is a perfectly painless procedure.

The other part of the duplex ultrasound scanner is the colour flow Doppler. Using colour flow Doppler, the ultrasound can see the blood flow in the veins. By looking at which way the blood is flowing after squeezing the calf and letting it go, specialists can tell which of the veins have working valves and which of the veins have valves that have stopped working.

By building up a picture of which veins are working and which ones aren't, a vein expert can determine which veins need treatment and, by seeing how big they are and what shape they are, can decide exactly which treatment is best.

If you, or someone you know, are concerned about Varicose Veins then please contact us for more information, or to book an appointment to see one our specialists.