McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Everything you need to know about VenaSeal™ vein treatment
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and highly effective solution.
Published by Dr Alex Vesey
Date posted — 4.10.24
What is VenaSeal™?
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and highly effective solution.
This innovative treatment involves using a specially formulated medical adhesive to seal off problematic veins, redirecting blood flow to healthier veins and providing relief from the discomfort and unsightly appearance of varicose veins.
Expert Video
Dr Alex Vesey is our expert consultant vascular surgeon who heads up our varicose vein team. Listen to him explain the VenaSeal™ treatment.
What makes VenaSeal™ different?
Unlike traditional methods that rely on heat or chemical irritants, VenaSeal™ works by simply bonding the vein walls together, causing the treated vein to collapse and eventually be absorbed by the body. The procedure is quick, usually completed in under an hour, and requires no anaesthetic, making it a convenient and comfortable choice for many patients.
It has already become the gold standard treatment in America, accounting for around 50% of varicose vein treatments in the USA, although its roll out in the UK has largely been limited because there are cheaper alternatives prioritised by the NHS which has also influenced the private sector in this country – despite VenaSeal™ being a better alternative for most patients. We are the first private clinic in Scotland to offer this procedure.
How does the VenaSeal™ treatment work?
The VenaSeal™ treatment works by using a specially formulated medical adhesive to seal off varicose veins, effectively rerouting blood flow to healthier veins. The procedure begins with a small, single injection of local anaesthetic. This contrasts with other minimally invasive options like Radiofrequency Ablation or Laser treatment that require a large volume of local anaesthetic to be injected along the entire length of the thigh.
Next, a tiny skin incision is made and a small catheter is inserted into the affected vein. Using ultrasound guidance, the doctor makes sure that the catheter is in the correct place before they deliver the adhesive along the length of the vein. The adhesive immediately seals the vein walls together, causing the vein to collapse and preventing blood from pooling in that area. Over time, the sealed vein is gradually absorbed by the body, and blood is naturally redirected to other – healthier, functioning veins.
The VenaSeal™ procedure is quick, typically taking less than an hour, and it requires no tumescent infiltration (extensive injections of local anaesthetic) nor does it require the use of heat to burn the vein which minimises discomfort and allows for a faster recovery.
In contrast to other procedures, VenaSeal™ doesn’t require patients to wear compression stockings afterwards – you simply get up, walk out the door and get back to your normal activities.
What are the advantages of VenaSeal™ treatment?
VenaSeal™ offers a number of advantages that make it an attractive option for treating varicose veins. One of the primary benefits is its minimally invasive nature, as it requires no heat, tumescent anaesthesia, or multiple needle injections, which are necessary with other endovenous treatments. This reduces the amount of discomfort and bruising patients experience both during and after treatment. The avoidance of the use of heat also reduces the risk of nerve damage and extent of bruising.
The procedure is quick, usually completed in under an hour, and patients can return to their normal activities almost immediately, with no need for compression stockings afterward. Additionally, VenaSeal™ has a high success rate in effectively sealing off problematic veins and providing long-term relief from the symptoms of varicose veins. It is at least as effective in terms of long term outcomes as other endovenous methods like radiofrequency or laser, and there is some emerging data suggesting that it may even be slightly more effective – despite being less invasive and having fewer risks of common side effects.
How safe is VenaSeal™ and what are the risks of treatment?
VenaSeal™ is considered a safe and effective treatment for varicose veins, with a strong safety profile supported by clinical studies and widespread use. Because it is a minimally invasive procedure that does not involve heat or chemicals, the risks associated with VenaSeal™ are lower compared to some traditional treatments. However, as with any medical procedure, there are potential risks that you should understand before you choose to proceed with treatment.
Although the pain following procedure is less than after other methods – that doesn’t mean it is pain free. Most patients experience a bit of soreness or tenderness at the treatment site as well as some mild bruising and swelling. It is common for the vein that has been treated to become swollen, red, hard and lumpy. This is part of the process by which your body gets rid of the diseased veins.
In rare cases, allergic reactions to the adhesive or infection at the incision site can occur. There is also a risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein. This is a risk with any type of treatment in the leg – in fact, it’s a risk with any injury (accidental or controlled) in the leg. We help to reduce this risk by giving you medicine to thin the blood a little before treatment. We also encourage you to walk around and get back to normal as quickly as possible after treatment which further mitigates the risk.
Overall, VenaSeal™ is a well-tolerated and safe option for most patients. We will discuss all of the risks of treatments as part of your initial consultation and assessment.
Interested in VenaSeal™?
If you’d like to find out if VenaSeal™ is the right treatment for you, the first step is to fill out our online consultation form. From there, our team will be able to arrange an initial consultation and ultrasound scan and we can work together to create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs.
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What a difference a week is! This is one of our patients just a week out from her deep plane face and neck lift by the ever so talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The deep plane technique is the most technically challenging facelift to perform and Russell remains the only surgeon in Scotland performing this procedure, which involves going much deeper into the face to reposition the tissues rather than just pull them tight.
The outcome is a much more effective rejuvenation, even in unflattering poses when your head is bent forward, and a result that lasts much longer than a traditional facelift.
What do you think?
Thank you so much to our wonderful patient for allowing us to share her before and after pictures. She’s around 6 weeks after full field resurfacing.
One of the great things about this treatment is that, in addition to wiping wrinkles away, it also gives some pretty impressive skin tightening too. If you look at her forehead, upper and lower eyelids you can really see how much tighter the skin is.
The stubborn forehead lines and lines through the eyebrows have gone and, of course, the lines around the mouth are significantly reduced. These will continue to improve for up to six months as the skin continues to heal. She’s still a little pink, which will fade over the next few months, but with a little tinted moisturiser you’d never know. The patient is over the moon.
What do you think?
We can now offer full laser resurfacing with sedation and you can see more about the procedure in the link in our profile.
Yesterday we announced that we’re the first clinic in Scotland to have the CoolSculpting® Elite so today I wanted to show you an example of the kind of results we can achieve with this treatment.
We’re so grateful to this patient for allowing us to share her results before and after CoolSculpting®. As you can see here, she had a stubborn area of fat around her belly which she was finding difficult to shift with diet and exercise alone.
She’s absolutely delighted with the result - what do you think?
For more information on CoolSculpting® and to get booked in to be ready for summer, check out the link in our bio.
Introducing CoolSculpting® Elite!
We’re delighted to announce that we now have the CoolSculpting® Elite, modelled here by our lovely nurse Niki! We’re excited to be the first clinic in Scotland to take delivery of the latest technology from CoolSculpting®, which has new and improved applicators to improve the contact between the machine and the skin, for even better results than before.
Now is the perfect time to have this treatment in time for the summer. To find out more about CoolSculpting® check the link in our bio.
We announced our hair transplant clinic with Dr Mani last week and we`ve been overwhelmed with bookings! We have one space left for this month`s consultation day on the 4th April so if you, or someone you know, would like to book in drop us a message or email [email protected].
Dr Mani is based in London and has a reputation for outstanding hairline restoration and will be joining us once a month to bring his expertise to our clinic.
If you`d like to know more about the procedure, you can read more at the link in our bio.
As everyone knows, the lack of protections in Scotland for patients having cosmetic procedures is something I have campaigned on for years.
It’s an issue that I feel very passionately about and will not stop campaigning on until we have meaningful change from our government. I have written to the government many times over the years and during the recent consultation I wrote to the minister for public health, Jenni Minto, on behalf of 20 of the most experienced doctors in aesthetic practice from all across Scotland explaining why - in very clear scientific terms - she has got it wrong with her current proposals to allow beauty therapists to continue injecting medicines and administering medical devices.
We have asked Jenni Minto to meet with us, to hear our perspective, but she continues to refuse to sit down and talk to us. In tonight’s STV news Donna has been exceptionally brave to speak on camera about the harm she has suffered as a result of a beautician, and the NHS care she has required, but sadly she is not alone.
There are so many Donnas who have been harmed in Scotland and we hear about it every day in our clinics across the country although the majority are too scared or embarrassed to speak out publicly and the government don’t want to listen to the professionals.
Whilst people like Donna continue to be harmed by the diabolical lack of regulation in Scotland, I will not stop campaigning. The government needs to act now to make injectable toxins and dermal fillers medic-only, bringing us in line with every other country in Europe, every state in America and every state in Australia.
Why don’t our government believe people in Scotland deserve the same protections as all of these other countries?
We have another exciting new launch in the clinic - and this one is for the men, or husbands, brothers AND sons!
We are bringing back hair transplant to the practice, performed by Dr Manish Mittal. Dr Mani is based in London - where he has a reputation for outstanding hairline restoration - and will be bringing his expertise to Glasgow every month in our clinic.
These are some examples of Dr Mani’s work. As you can see, he is not only great at creating natural looking hairlines - but also achieving full looking density, which is a rare skill in hair transplant and one of the key reasons we selected him to be our hair transplant partner.
If you (or someone you know!) would like to come in for a consultation and meet Dr Mani, send us a message, email us at [email protected] or call the clinic on 0141 370 0509.
In case you missed it, here’s Dr Rhona & Dr Iain’s live Q&A on all things perimenopause, menopause and HRT. Thanks to everyone who joined and asked questions. We’ll be doing more of these so keep an eye out for the next one!
And if you’d like to know more about our menopause services, check out the link in our bio!
We`re going live tonight at 7pm! Join Dr Rhona and Dr Iain (@driainmartin) this evening on Instagram live, where they`ll be discussing everything about perimenopause & menopause, including: �
Symptoms & early signs
Treatment options, including HRT
Myths vs facts - getting the right information
They`ll also be answering your questions live, so if there`s anything you`d like to ask, leave a comment, send us a message or head to our stories.
We hope you can join us!
Join us on Instagram to keep up with the latest results and expert insights from the clinic team.
Our dedicated team of experts are on hand to help you as you navigate your journey with us.
When you first make contact with us you will be assigned your own personal Patient Relationship Manager. They’ll start by understanding your needs and liaising with our doctors to book you an appointment with the most suitable specialist. For any additional questions or needs, you can message or call them anytime and they’ll be delighted to assist you. Our entire team is dedicated to providing you with the best possible treatment and care tailored to your needs.
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