During this consultation, for which you have an appointment, the condition of the blood vessels (the veins, not the arteries) in your legs will be examined. The examination (while standing) takes approximately 15-25 minutes. It is performed using sound waves and is completely painless.
Naturally, your legs must be bare down to the groin for this examination. You can keep your underwear on. Please wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the groin folds. During the examination, a gel will be applied to improve the conduction of the sound waves. This gel is water-based and washes out easily without leaving stains.
During the examination, the location of the varicose veins will be determined. Sometimes these are small varicose veins that can be easily treated with injections (sclerosing), but sometimes there are very large varicose veins that are under a lot of tension and are better treated with surgery. This is particularly the case with very large varicose veins originating in the groin.
The external varicose veins can be assessed with a Doppler device, which uses sound waves. A duplex scan is required to assess the vessels that run deep within the leg (the deep system). This is a combination of ultrasound and Doppler, which also provides a clear image of the vessels deep within the leg.
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| A large varicose vein that starts from the groin |
A duplex device (echo-Doppler) |
Afterward, the results will be discussed with you and follow-up appointments or appointments for potential treatment will be scheduled.
Several outcomes are possible:
| 1. |
The varicose veins are small and are suitable for sclerotherapy (injection). You will have several appointments to do this.
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| 2. |
Varicose veins are larger (large side branches) and are best treated with the Muller procedure , a technique in which the vessels are removed through very small incisions under local anesthesia. This technique is also called phlebectomy.
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| 3. |
The varicose veins are so large that another treatment is necessary, such as cauterising them from the inside using the VNUS method (VNUS-Closure fast) or the endovascular laser method, or a vascular surgical procedure (stripping).
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| 4. |
The varicose veins on the outside are caused by damaged valves in the deep veins: treating them is probably pointless because they quickly reappear. You will be advised to start wearing (or continue wearing) elastic stockings. |
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