Varicose vein treatment has both come a long way and gone full circle since ancient times, when leeches were used to remove the clotted blood from affected areas. While hospitals in some parts of the world have started using leeches again, albeit in a much cleaner and sterile atmosphere, others are embracing modern technology – as with The Private Clinic – and are using innovative surgical techniques and even lasers to treat the unsightly and uncomfortable condition.
While leeches may have been the varicose vein treatment of choice in Roman and Medieval times, doctors back then also used compression to treat the problem, which is a method still used today in the form of compression stockings. Centuries ago, however, compression involved applying a tourniquet to the affected area, which could cut off the circulation and cause all kinds of further complications!
Surgical varicose vein removal was first attempted in the 18th century and developed in the 19th century as more medical discoveries were made, such as anaesthesia and the idea of antiseptic surgery. It was in the late 19th century that doctors first attempted to treat the condition by injecting chemical solutions directly into affected vein – a treatment option that is still commonly used today, even though the substances injected into the body have changed over time.
Surgery is also still a common option for varicose vein treatment, though going under the knife is much safer now than in the 1800s! These days, varicose vein surgery can be carried out on tiny areas, leaving only minimal scarring and healing quickly, which is a vast improvement on the early days, when complications and blood loss made the procedure a risky choice. Transilluminated powered phlebectomy may sound like a futuristic device, but it is, in fact, the latest weapon against varicose veins, allowing surgeons to see clearly which veins need to be treated before tiny incisions are made and suction is used to remove the damaged areas. Surgery is only ever a final resort when it comes to varicose vein treatment, and doctors always prefer to try more old-fashioned methods, such as compressions stockings, before reaching for the scalpel.