Local Guides World
Hannimal I
1 reviews on 1 places
I had an initial assessment to treat my varicose veins here around a year ago. I had self-diagnosed the veins as being quite minor, so I did not think I would need laser ablation as opposed to the much cheaper sclerotherapy (foam).
I am a medical scientist by training but not clinically qualified, so while I was disappointed when I had my assessment and was told that my veins were not minor but could instead only be treated with EVLA (laser ablation), I accepted this as the expert opinion. I only thought I had varicose veins on one leg but I was told at the consultation that I had them on both. This was surprising because what were identified as varicose veins are veins I have had visible since childhood. The difference in cost between having two vs one legs treated is considerable, and EVLA is also much more expensive and invasive and takes longer to recover than foam treatment from as it is a larger procedure. For this, reason I decided to think about it for a while before booking.
Some months later I spoke with a radiologist who put me in touch with a world-leading clinical scientist and interventional radiologist who works in varicose veins. This was not in the UK. He saw me for less than an hour, during which time he assessed and treated my veins.
The radiologist was shocked and, I quote, "disgusted" that I had been offered EVLA, and he had concerns that I only had varicose veins on my right leg so he could not think what they would have done to my left leg where I have healthy veins close to skin surface - but these are not varicose. I understood that treating with EVLA could have been dangerous. He compared what I had been offered to offering gastric by-pass to someone with a BMI of 25.
The radiologist considered my varicose veins minor and thought I was an ideal candidate for foam treatment. He did not think I would have had any additional benefit from ablation, and confirmed this by ultrasound. I have since made full recovery and the veins have resolved. To be clear - this was not a radiologist at this clinic and the radiologist was unimpressed by what The Private Clinic had offered me. He said if it had been in the country I was treated at, he would have personally rung the radiologist at the clinic to discuss this.
It worries me what could have happened had I had my treatment here. I would have been exposed to unnecessary risk and personal financial cost, and they may have ablated a healthy vein. Do your research and ask for other opinions. Be very careful with this clinic.
Edit: the clinic never replied to me with an apology or an explanation. That speaks volumes to me.
I am a medical scientist by training but not clinically qualified, so while I was disappointed when I had my assessment and was told that my veins were not minor but could instead only be treated with EVLA (laser ablation), I accepted this as the expert opinion. I only thought I had varicose veins on one leg but I was told at the consultation that I had them on both. This was surprising because what were identified as varicose veins are veins I have had visible since childhood. The difference in cost between having two vs one legs treated is considerable, and EVLA is also much more expensive and invasive and takes longer to recover than foam treatment from as it is a larger procedure. For this, reason I decided to think about it for a while before booking.
Some months later I spoke with a radiologist who put me in touch with a world-leading clinical scientist and interventional radiologist who works in varicose veins. This was not in the UK. He saw me for less than an hour, during which time he assessed and treated my veins.
The radiologist was shocked and, I quote, "disgusted" that I had been offered EVLA, and he had concerns that I only had varicose veins on my right leg so he could not think what they would have done to my left leg where I have healthy veins close to skin surface - but these are not varicose. I understood that treating with EVLA could have been dangerous. He compared what I had been offered to offering gastric by-pass to someone with a BMI of 25.
The radiologist considered my varicose veins minor and thought I was an ideal candidate for foam treatment. He did not think I would have had any additional benefit from ablation, and confirmed this by ultrasound. I have since made full recovery and the veins have resolved. To be clear - this was not a radiologist at this clinic and the radiologist was unimpressed by what The Private Clinic had offered me. He said if it had been in the country I was treated at, he would have personally rung the radiologist at the clinic to discuss this.
It worries me what could have happened had I had my treatment here. I would have been exposed to unnecessary risk and personal financial cost, and they may have ablated a healthy vein. Do your research and ask for other opinions. Be very careful with this clinic.
Edit: the clinic never replied to me with an apology or an explanation. That speaks volumes to me.