Spider Veins (Sclerotherapy) Cost in United Kingdom

Here are some of the factors that usually affect the cost of sclerotherapy in the UK -

1. NHS: The biggest factor that affects the cost of this treatment is the severity of the issue. The NHS does not cover the cost of non-serious, uncomplicated, and asymptomatic cases of spider veins. In simple words, aesthetic or cosmetic surgeries are not covered. The NHS follows a grading system that classifies the underlying conditions that would cause this condition (mainly the varicose veins) and based on the severity of the situation scaling from

• 1 (meaning these are very small thread veins) - Mainly cosmetic and unsuitable for treatment with the NHS

• to 6 (meaning skin changes with active leg ulceration) - These varicose veins are venous ulcers, hard to heal and very painful, and can be treated with the help of the NHS.

This is how the treatment coverage is decided. Therefore, since spider veins usually fall under the first category, they are not included within the NHS treatment. Patients will have to approach private dermatology or cosmetic clinics and/or vascular physicians for the treatment.

2. Duration of therapy: based on the underlying cause of spider veins, the condition could take a comparatively longer or shorter duration to get resolved completely. Furthermore, some inherited conditions pose the risk of recurrence due to the genetic component involved.

There are multiple conditions regarding why spider veins are formed and therefore these causes can be classified broadly under one of the following categories:

• Spider veins caused due to – inherited conditions

• Acquired spider veins caused due to non-hereditary reasons

• Spider veins formed due to injuries

• Spider veins formed due to tumors (often in case of skin cancers)

• Spider veins formed due to drug use or other treatments

This would ultimately and indirectly extend the duration of treatment that is the time required for complete disappearance.

3. Complexity – The spider veins commonly manifest on the face and (or) lower limbs region. Based on whether the affected vessels are arterial capillaries or venular capillaries they might have a red colored or bluish - purple colored appearance. The condition when affects the facial area, might cause displeasure to the sufferer since it causes considerable distortion aesthetically. Based on the patient’s preference he/she might opt for correcting this feature. Facial veins are relatively the least expensive to be treated than the other affected areas like the lower extremities due to their fine structure and smaller area.

4. Number of Sessions – The cost of the treatment is driven up significantly if the number of sessions required to eliminate the condition entirely is more in number. The number of sessions is personalized and is highly dependent on the patient’s initial response to the treatment.

5. Surgeon’s fee- A vascular surgeon is highly specialized in their field. Having said that, it is only natural that experienced and skillful surgeons are found to be in high demand, while the surgeon’s fee can vary from doctor to doctor depending upon his/her demand, reputation, and expertise within the area. Since the surgeon’s demand is also to be factored into the total cost of the procedure, one would have to spend higher to seek their services. An established surgeon will usually have numerous patients with satisfying results. Therefore, one can expect that the fees will be a little higher than surgeons who are just starting out in their careers.

6. Clinic - The total cost involved in surgery depends on the number and kind of facilities that a clinic or hospital has. A few of the factors include:

· Advanced nature of the facilities

· The number of patients that usually visit there

· The repute of the clinic or hospital

· Aftercare services – if required

· Financing facilities

7. Location - The location of the clinic will also determine the cost of the procedure. If a facility is in the heart of the city or even within London, then the price of surgery can be significantly higher than the ones within the London suburbs.

Although there are over two hundred and fifty private cosmetic or vascular clinics (outside of the NHS - approved general hospitals) offering sclerotherapy and other modes of therapy for vascular malformations such as the spider veins. The clinics mentioned below, have gained considerable popularity and have widespread repute across the United Kingdom. This makes them worth mentioning.

a. The Whiteley Clinic has its branches located in Bristol, Guildford, and London. They offer same-day walk-in and walk-out surgeries for varicose veins and so accordingly the micro sclerotherapy treatment session also offered at their clinic, would involve only a few hours of the patient’s time. Although the price of treatment could be on the higher side of the average range, the popularity, patient satisfaction, and abundant reviews make it one of the valid choices while choosing sclerotherapy. Their establishment type falls under the group hospital type.

b. Dr. Newman’s Clinic located in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Newcastle & the UK Vein Clinic is one of the most sought after and easily accessible clinics throughout the United Kingdom due to its widespread location for vascular treatments. Since location can play a significant role in the treatment cost, Dr. Newman’s clinic would be an affordable choice for a patient. Dr. Newman’s Clinic provides the leading specialists in terms of non-laser thread vein removal, through a treatment called thermocoagulation. This method uses microwaves to warm up minute blood vessels and destroy them quickly with the help of heat. Dr. Newman’s Clinics also operates in a partnership with Mr. Stephen Black, head of the Vascular Department at London’s Guys and St. Thomas’ Hospital. This opens avenues into seeking their services through London’s Guys and St. Thomas’ Hospital.

c. Veincentre located in Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxfordshire, Southampton, Stoke, and new clinics in Birmingham, Cambridge, and Cardiff is operated through several consultant vascular surgeons. Veincentre is the best choice of clinics both in terms of accessibility and affordability. They are not only known within the United Kingdom but also known across all of Europe for their efficient and affordable treatment facilities. Their continued standard and quality of care lies in their chosen consultant vascular surgeons coupled with in-house training and coaching. Additionally, they facilitate their care and treatments through state-of-the-art equipment as well as treatment kits.

Some of the well-known vascular surgeons in the United Kingdom include the following:

a. Dr. David Greenstein is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon with about 32 years of experience.

b. Dr. Donald Adam is a Consultant Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon with about 31 years of experience.

c. Martin Claridge is a Consultant Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon with 25 years of experience.

d. Hosaam Nasr is a Consultant Vascular & Endovascular Surgeon with 20 years of experience.

e. Mark Whiteley of Whitely Clinic is a Consultant Venous Surgeon and Consultant Phlebologist or Vein Specialist

f. Available at London, Guildford, and Bristol with over 35 years of experience

g. Tahir Hussain is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon from Manchester with around 34 years of experience.

h. Ferdinand Serracino-Inglott- a Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon with about 26 years of experience.

Sclerotherapy relies on the targeted and systematic destruction of the damaged blood vessels, that is, the spider veins. This technique includes injection of a sclerosing agent which is a cytotoxic chemical or biological substance (in the liquid state) that destroys the blood vessels by hardening them, dehydrating them, or causing blood clots which eventually degrade the vessel tissue. The mechanism of action is highly reliant on the type of ingredient used. Ultimately the damaged tissue is removed from our body, by natural elimination and the affected vessels fade away. In 70 to 90 percent of the cases, sclerotherapy is highly successful and the success rate on average comes up to 86 percent.