Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens When I Make An Appointment?

You will be seen by a doctor specialising in Varicose Veins. We will ensure that there is nothing about your personal or family health that would contradict treatment.

Obviously we will examine you, and this includes an initial Duplex Ultrasound examination.

We will then discuss what would happen if you did not proceed to treatment, or how we would proceed if you did want them treated (for whatever reason). Quite often we will advise treatment because of early or obvious complications occurring, even though the veins may not be giving you any problems. We will have a preliminary explanation of treatment options, and refer you to this website to peruse at your leisure .

You will then proceed to a full Duplex Ultrasound by one of our specialist Vascular Ultrasonographers. This is to map the anatomy of the veins, and also to look for possible risk factors for DVT. Your anatomy will have some bearing on the treatment choice.

After this, we will call you with the results (or discuss it on the spot). There may be a treatment that we would advise, or any of the options are suitable. We will help you decide.

Will I Need Time Off Work?

After our minimally invasive treatment, most people are able to go back to work the same day, or the following day. It does of course depend a bit on how much needed to be done in your procedure. We will advise you a little better when we see you.

Will Insurance Cover The Costs?

All insurance companies recognize us as experts in the field, and will cover you as long as there are genuine indications for treatment. The reimbursement depends on the type of coverage. Our staff will help you with your insurance and filling in your forms. And of course we are Southern Cross affiliated.

I Don’t Have An Insurance. Do You Provide Any Long Term Funding?

To help our patients who do not have any medical insurance, we started cooperation with Q-Card offering long term (up to 12 months) funding. For details please refer to https://www.qcard.co.nz/ * *terms and conditions of Q-Card apply.

Do I Need A Referral From My GP?

We would prefer it, especially if you have had previous health problems, and it’s a good idea to discuss it with him or her first.

However, you can contact us directly if you wish. We would keep your GP informed of our opinion and any treatments.

So How Is The Blood Leaving My Leg After My Veins Are Closed By Laser Or Glue?

No worries! Fortunately we have a lot of good veins which transport the blood to our heart. We only close veins which compromise the function of good ones and causing your varicose veins and other nasty leg symptoms, therefore improving the whole circulation.

For How Long Am I Not Permitted To Fly After My Treatment?

Only long haul flights (above 5h) are considered to increase the risk of blood clots. Therefore you are permitted to have domestic flights straight away after your treatment. If you plan a long haul flight, you should wait to have your treatment at least one week after your travel, or at least 2 weeks before it. If you can’t plan your flight this way, we can always prescribe you blood thinners to decrease the risk of DVT to minimum.

Is The Glue Treatment Safe?

The cyanoacrylic glue has been proven to be safe in medical procedures for many years. However, as with all other methods of the vein treatment, it is not completely risk-free. The main risk is an allergic reaction, which usually settles down after a few days. There were also reported worldwide single cases of the chronic inflammation called granuloma, which occasionally required surgical intervention. It happened in patients with pre-existing immunological disorders. We have successfully applied glue without major problems. The glue use is discussed with you during an initial consultation. For more information please refer to our glue section.

Why To Have Laser Instead Of Radiofrequency Treatment

Although both methods use high temperatures to close the treated vein with a similar outcome, the Laser treatment is “less invasive” than radiofrequency due to the equipment used. The laser fibre has about 3 times smaller diameter than RFA electrode, so we use much smaller needle to introduce it to the vein. Also the radial fibre, which we currently use in The Vein Centre makes the procedure much more comfortable with the success rate close to 100%.

Frequently Asked Questions

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