McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Phlebectomy, or microphlebectomy, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to remove varicose veins.
Date posted — 24.09.24
Phlebectomy, or microphlebectomy, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to remove varicose veins. During the procedure, small incisions are made in the skin, typically around 1-2 millimetres in size, to access and extract the affected veins. The veins are carefully removed using specialised tools. It is performed under local anaesthetic injections to simply numb the skin, as opposed to the general anaesthetic used in more major varicose vein surgery.
The benefit of phlebectomy or microphlebectomy is its effectiveness in treating visible varicose veins, particularly those that are large or protruding. The procedure typically results in minimal scarring and a relatively quick recovery time. Patients can usually resume normal activities within a few days, although some may experience mild discomfort, bruising, or swelling in the treated area.
Phlebectomy is often performed in conjunction with other vein treatments, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or VenaSeal™, to achieve optimal results and comprehensive vein care.
Dr Alex Vesey is our expert consultant vascular surgeon who heads up our varicose vein team. Listen to him explain the microphlebectomy treatment.
Microphlebectomy might be a suitable option for you if you have visible, bulging varicose veins that are not adequately addressed by other treatments or if they are causing significant discomfort.
This procedure is especially effective for larger veins that are close to the surface of the skin. These visible veins near the surface are usually caused by deeper diseased veins, and so the first port of call is always to treat the deeper underlying cause – either using RFA or VenaSeal™ (or, in uncommon cases, surgery). Treating the deeper diseased veins may result in the smaller, visible veins improving over time. However, it is often necessary to add in an extra treatment for the superficial veins – which is where microphlebectomy is helpful.
The alternative to microphlebectomy is foam sclerotherapy. The benefit of microphlebectomy over foam is that it is a more guaranteed result because the vein is being physically removed. The downside is that it’s slightly more invasive, rather than just an injection.
Before: Before the procedure, you’ll have a consultation with a consultant vascular surgeon to identify the best treatment option or options for your particular condition. On the day of the procedure, you’ll be taken to our minor operating room and asked to lie on a bed. The nurse will then clean your leg and attach some sterile drapes.
During: The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic, which numbs the area where the incisions will be made. You’ll remain awake and alert throughout the procedure, but you should feel little to no discomfort. Small incisions, usually about 1-2 millimetres in size, are made in the skin near the affected veins. Using specialised instruments, the doctor will gently remove the varicose veins through these tiny incisions. The procedure is guided by visual inspection and sometimes ultrasound imaging to ensure accuracy. Once the veins are removed, the incisions typically are so small they do not need a stitch and a simple plaster is applied. A compression stocking is then applied to help reduce discomfort and swelling.
After: After the procedure, you may experience mild discomfort, bruising, or swelling, but these symptoms generally resolve within a few days. You’ll be able to walk immediately after the procedure and can usually resume normal activities within a day or two. You will need to wear compression stockings for a week or two, and we will see you back in the clinic when you are healed to check on the final outcome.
Both phlebectomy and foam sclerotherapy are effective treatments for small, visible varicose veins, but they offer different benefits depending on the specific needs of the patient.
Phlebectomy is particularly beneficial for treating larger, more prominent varicose veins that are close to the surface of the skin. The main advantages of phlebectomy include its direct approach to removing the veins, which can provide immediate and visible results. The procedure involves making small incisions to extract the affected veins, and it is highly effective for veins that are resistant to other treatments.
Phlebectomy typically results in minimal scarring and a relatively quick recovery, with most patients resuming normal activities within a few days. It is especially useful for veins that are too large or complex for foam sclerotherapy to address effectively.
Foam sclerotherapy, on the other hand, is a less invasive treatment that involves injecting a foam sclerosant into the veins to cause them to collapse and eventually be absorbed by the body.
The advantages of foam sclerotherapy include its ability to treat multiple veins in one session and its non-surgical nature, which avoids the need for incisions. It is well-suited for smaller veins and can be effective for treating veins that are not as bulging or prominent. Foam sclerotherapy generally requires fewer sessions for smaller veins and has a shorter recovery time, with patients able to resume normal activities shortly after treatment. The main disadvantage of foam is that it usually requires multiple sessions.
Ultimately, the choice between phlebectomy and foam sclerotherapy depends on factors such as the size and location of the varicose veins, your overall health, anatomy and your treatment goals.
All of these factors are analysed as part of your initial consultation with our expert vascular surgeon to determine the best course of treatment for you as an individual. The first step is to fill in our online consultation form, and 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.
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and...
Foam sclerotherapy is an advanced form of sclerotherapy used to treat larger varicose veins, particularly those that may not respond...
1 / 3
2 / 3
3 / 3
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and...
Foam sclerotherapy is an advanced form of sclerotherapy used to treat larger varicose veins, particularly those that may not respond...
We are now well up and running with @sofwave.uk , much to the excitement of the whole team in the clinic (we are all queuing up to get a shot!)
This is a little video of the treatment being performed, so you can see what the process is like and there is even a little early preview of the results at the end.
One of the best parts is that there is no downtime, so we can still fit it in before Christmas without worrying about redness in the party season!
What do you think?
#sofwave
#sofwavemed
#SUPERB
#sofwavemedical
#sofwavejourney
#sofwaveexperience
We`re absolutely delighted to introduce you to our lovely new doctor, Dr Sharon.
With over 30 years’ experience as a medical doctor and a decade specialising in aesthetic medicine, Dr Sharon brings exceptional skill, warmth and a deeply patient-centred approach to every treatment.
She joins us with extensive expertise in injectables, including advanced toxin and filler techniques, and will also be leading our regenerative aesthetics offering with Ameela polynucleotides and Ameela Exosomes - two of the most exciting developments in skin rejuvenation. She will also be offering Profhilo and Profhilo Structura!
We have a super exciting new addition to the clinic this week, with the launch of @sofwavemed.
Sofwave is an incredible skin tightening technology that has been around for five years now. I am never first to the queue with new devices because so many don’t deliver and disappear within a couple of years of launch. Sofwave however has continued to grow in popularity over the years and earlier this year I decided I had to find out what all the fuss was about.
I asked the reps to bring it round for us to play with and we treated a few of our patients to see what the results were like and, three months later not only was I signing the purchase order I was asking how quickly I could get one of the reps round to treat me 😊
Sofwave works using ultrasound waves to create a thermal injury to the deeper layers of the skin, initiating a healing response which over a period of several months results in a skin tightening effect.
I have trialled a number of ultrasound devices in the past and have never bought any of them because I was always disappointed in the results. There are a couple of things that I think makes Sofwave different.
First, it only goes to 1.5mm which means all of the energy is being delivered to the skin. Most other devices go down to 3 or 4mm, by which point you are past the skin and into the fat which can, if anything, have a worsening effect on volume loss. The second difference that I think is important is that it treats a bigger proportion of the surface area of the skin.
We have a new page on our website where you can read all about Sofwave and how it works, but for now, enjoy some of these before and afters that the manufacture supplied.
Let me know what you think!
Lower eyelid surgery is one of the more challenging operations in aesthetic practice. If we can avoid it, we normally try to help our patients chose non-surgical paths using laser or fillers.
However, there are some situations where it can’t be avoided, especially when there is excess fat under the eye causing puffiness. This is exactly what this patient had and so the very talented @bramhallplasticsurgery performed an upper and lower blepharoplasty for him. Whilst we often do the upper eyelids without doing the lower eyelids, usually when we do the lower eyelids we always need to do the uppers too.
This patient is now a couple of months out from surgery and loving his result. What do you think?
Laser season continues!
Thank you to this lovely patient who has kindly allowed us to share her results. She was particularly concerned about the fine lines and creases around her mouth, and underwent full-field laser resurfacing to target the deeper layers of the skin.
This is just two months after treatment and you can already see a significant improvement in the fine lines and overall skin texture. She’s still a little red and got some more healing to do, but she is already very happy with the improvement. This patient was a bit anxious about having the treatment done, so chose to have it under sedation which means she slept throughout and woke up when it was over!
What do you think?
It’s been six months since we launched the new toxin Relfydess in the clinic so, how is it going?
We’ve undertaken a survey of all of the patients we treated with the new toxin in the first month, who are now around six months since their first treatment, to find out more about what they thought of the results over the longer term - whether it kicked in faster, whether it looked better and whether they felt it lasted longer than the previous toxin.
Here are the results, and the feedback so far is really encouraging with the majority of patients reporting that it kicked in faster, looked better and lasted longer.
If you’d like to see more detail and analysis of these results, check out the link to the blog post in our profile.
Aesthetic interventions are never far from the headlines and this week the media have been focused on comments made by the make up artist Bobbi Brown about her view of cosmetic procedures. I was on BBC Radio Scotland today talking about the issue.
My own view is that we should all age in the way we feel comfortable with - if you are happy with grey hair and wrinkles, then I absolutely admire you just as much as I admire those who feel differently and want a little help to keep the signs of ageing at bay. There is no right and wrong and there is no room for moral superiority. Just you be you!
Have a listen to the debate and let me know what you think in the comments!
I’ve been back in the clinic for a week and we are right into laser season!
Thank you so much to this lovely patient who has allowed us to share her pictures with you. She was concerned about sun damage and deep lines and wrinkles on her face, especially on her forehead, on her cheeks and around her mouth. She opted for full laser resurfacing which is unrivalled for repairing this level of damage to the skin, but does come with slightly more downtime compared to other laser treatments.
These after pictures are six weeks after this patient’s initial treatment, and while she’s still a little pink (little enough that light make up will cover it!), you can see the she already has beautifully refreshed skin and her deep lines have been significantly reduced.
The true results for full laser resurfacing are usually seen after six months so we’ll share some pictures of this patient then so you can see the final result, but she’s absolutely delighted with the improvement so far!
What do you think?
We often talk about the deep plane facelift being the gold standard technique for facelift, and we’re proud to have the talented @bramhallplasticsurgery performing it in the clinic.
Here’s Russell explaining how the deep plane facelift offers longer lasting and more natural results than other techniques. By lifting and repositioning the deeper facial structures rather than just tightening the skin, this advanced approach creates a result that looks natural, moves naturally, and continues to age beautifully over time.
If you have any questions about the deep plane facelift just send us a message, or you can see more about the procedure at the link in our profile.