Freedom from varicose veins: Transform Clinic

Varicose veins are common, affecting about 30 percent of people, and while they can appear at any age from young adulthood, they are linked to genetic inheritance and become more common with age. Treatments have been available since 1550 BC, but as Roman tyrant Caius Marius noted, the cure wasn’t worth the pain.

Fortunately for present-day sufferers, Transform Clinic offers walk-in walk-out treatments, whether your concerns are cosmetic or health-related. Manager Jenny Little says, “Varicose veins can be unsightly and or very uncomfortable, give you restless legs, and can lead to the skin around them breaking down, creating varicose ulcers”. Jenny says clients arrive unhappy with the look, or the discomfort they are feeling, or both. While women are more affected than men, there are plenty of men arriving for treatment. “Often we see farmers at a quiet point in their calendar.”

Most treatments are done for medical rather than cosmetic reasons, you won’t need time off work and the cost of treatment is covered by most health insurers. Your first consultation is free and Dr Ian Little, Fellow of the Australasian College of Phlebology, uses ultrasound scanning to establish whether the veins are varicose. Options for treatment are ultrasound guided sclerotherapy, endovenous laser, and VenaSeal™ – an innovative treatment that uses a glue formulation. Within 12 months, follow-ups are free. “While our treatments are effective, only so many veins can be treated at once,” Jenny says.

Transform Clinic is open six days per week with branches around the South Island, so phone 03 343 2880 to find your nearest clinic.