anyone had varicose veins done on NHS?

[BadAtMaths2]

Horrible huge lumpy varicose veins that keep getting hot and uncomfortable. The GP just sort of shrugged and said if they get taken out they'll come back. Seemed very discouraging of getting anything done....Any experiences?

I’d be amazed if the Nhs agrees to strip them. My aunt got hers done privately decades ago. They did come back so she got them done again and they didn’t return after that

I badly need mine doing :( They get so uncomfortable,I'm paranoid about what I wear and I get regular bouts of cellulitis and phlebitis because of them :(

My mum had terrible varicose veins but they wouldn't refer until it's giving you ulcers which is outrageous. They just send you away with a leaflet and prescription for very uncomfortable and hot compression stockings. Save up and go private, maybe even in Europe somewhere.

Don’t think they do them on the NHS now. And I think they are lasered not stripped now.

Quick name change

I manage the vascular service for a very large trust. We do veins all the time - contrary to popular believe you can and should get symptomatic veins treated on the NHS. We do not do veins for cosmetic reasons.

stripping is very old fashioned now, we do a procedure called EVFR which is very effective and then possibly some foam treatment afterwards. Stripping in rare cases.

if they are bleeding, painful or you have skin changes you would qualify for treatment in most areas. You have to mention the effect on your quality of life. However if you have BMI over 30, smoke or pregnant it’s a no.

I have some advice for you. This what I did. Got benenden health cover for around ten pounds a month, after 6 months you will qualify for cover.

Then you get a private referral, they did mine with a laser and it was excellent,

Waiting lists obviously v long as not urgent procedure

Yes I had it done in March.

I had mine stripped and they came back! Had it done again and so far so good. I'm not in the UK but I did have them done for "free" as they were painful.

I had mine done several years ago and they have not returned. Very little scarring either, I would recommend it

Oh wow. My Dh has VV, it's a hereditary thing as all his family have them and his first one was at 15. He's fit and healthy otherwise.

He's been to the GP as they itch and each one has significant skin discoloration. He was sent away with cream which has done bog all and told veins aren't done on the NHS now.

I've just looked at the NICE guidelines for VV, DH meets the criteria very easily, I'll get him to chase this up asap.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor he needs to be very clear he wants a referral to vascular, mention quality of life, itching, uncomfortable, aching, if they swell after standing for too long etc

Thank you, he wouldn't be exaggerating at all and they already have that on his notes.

Is it a vascular clinic he needs to ask for?

Thank you all so much, they swell, hurt and itch. And are really hot. I can’t wear some trousers because of them.

The NHS wouldn't treat mine when they were sore/ugly/itchy/effecting quality of life. But once I got an inflamed vein with a blood clot in it in one, I got on the waiting list and they got lasered (above the knee) and stripped (below the knee, they were too bad apparently to laser) about a year later. This was about 14 years ago in Scotland. They started coming back a few years ago, but they're not too bad yet.

My mum has awful varicose veins and has been asking for about 20 years for them to be removed but it's always refused.

Got mine stripped many many years ago on the NHS. Mine were like a road map , sore and itchy. They healed excellently, virtually no scars & didn't come back.

It's very much a postcode lottery. I work in operating theatres and the trust I work for covers 2 counties. Only 1 covers evlt. Not the one I live in of course lol. The surgeon also comes in to operate as part of the vascular network in the south east and is actually based in my county ironically. Its nuts.

I had mine done on nhs last year.

I think it depends where you are in country as to service you'll get. I had no problem getting referred and operated on. Took 3 months from docs referral.

Mine weren't even that bad.

I had mine done on Nhs - both legs, about 12 years ago. Fingers crossed but so far, haven't come back

I had one leg surgically stripped (privately) almost twenty years ago. Another Lasered and then foam-glued in the NHS ten years ish (?) ago. I went to the gp who told me to properly ham it up for a referral, and luckily they were doing a trial of the lasering / foam methods versus the surgery so I got put on the trial.

The Lasered & foamed leg isn't as good as the stripped leg, but it's decent enough.

I would recommend looking up the nice guidelines and exaggerating your symptoms/ suffering.

My poor mum has suffered with these for years. Her lower legs are swollen, hot, itchy and blue and they won't do a thing. She wears tall boots as much as she can to protect them as her legs are so painful and the slightest knock sends her through the roof. Her mum had awful ulcerated legs and this is exactly the way my mum will go. My mum is an ideal weight and has never smoked. I'm gutted for her. Wish I had enough to get her done privately. It's miserable. Her feet are awful too. She cannot stand the summer months. I feel for all of you. I often catch her checking mine and my sisters legs out in the hope we don't suffer too.

I have sympathy for you all that suffer. We finally thought we were getting somewhere. I'd love to know how bad they need to be to get sorted. They don't look like legs ☹️

After years of asking and telling the GP how miserable mine were making me, I gave up and got mine done privately (lasered and foam) last year. I still have a few small ones but I now have the confidence to have bare legs for the first time in years. I'd previously had them stripped but they grew back. I may need to get them done again in the future. I know not everyone can afford it, and I had to save up for a couple of years, but it was worth it - cost about £3.5k.