The Vein Doctor

I am very against ageism and the wonderful thing about modern vein treatments under local anaesthetics is that they are much safer and older people are very eligible to take advantage of their benefits. Many people (and I include some referring GPs) believe that older people should not be concerned about the way their legs look and that they just have to put up with the way their legs feel. Well that is not the case and recently I treated a very fit and active lady in her 70′s who refused to put up with her severe varicose veins and … Continue reading »

I have spent the last week at the American Venous Forum in Orlando. The AVF is one of the largest international meetings of vein specialists and I believe that it is important for me to attend such meetings so that I remain up to date and to ensure that I continue to offer the most modern, safe and effective treatment options for vein conditions.

As well as providing technical information about venous disease, complications of veins and how vein problems should be treated, the AVF also sheds light on what is happening around the world and offers glimpses into the … Continue reading »

At the American Venous Forum meeting in Orlando today, I listened to an international group of vein specialists describe their results of using “super glue” for sealing faulty veins. The Sapheon Closure System uses a medical cyanoacrylate glue to treat refluxing veins. The glue is injected directly into the veins using a very fine catheter under ultrasound guidance. The number of people treated is small: 8 were followed afterwards for 1 year and 30 people were followed for 30 days. However, the results are impressive: 100% success and no need for local anaesthetic and no need for stockings afterwards.

We already … Continue reading »

How many of us made it our aim to get fit in 2012? How many of us are still on target? Coriander Firmager has some advice about Motivation.

“February is here and many of the good intentions people started the year with will have faded into the distant past.  The reality is the first few weeks of maintaining an exercise program is a fragile time; life just seems to get in the way.  KEEP GOING!  A few adjustments and a few minutes revaluating the situation can get you right back on track.

Why … Continue reading »

Myths and Misconceptions

This week I have seen 3 ladies, two from London and one from Bristol who had been advised by their GP to defer any treatment for their varicose veins until they have completed their family and had all their children. Fortunately, they questioned this advice and asked me for a second opinion. This advice is not in keeping with our modern understanding of what causes varicose veins. It is based on the incorrect belief that pregnancy causes … Continue reading »

Bupa has reinstated virtually all the hospitals run by BMI Healthcare to its provider network after reaching agreement in a major pricing dispute that began last autumn.

The UK’s biggest private medical insurer and biggest hospital group have reached a three-year agreement that will see the “vast majority” of BMI Healthcare’s hospitals confirmed on Bupa’s recognised hospital lists. Only three hospitals – BMI Gisburne Park Hospital, BMI The Lancaster Hospital and BMI The Castle Consulting Suite – remain out of the Bupa network.

The new agreement suggests that at least one side has … Continue reading »

This week Coriander Firmager discusses the importance of our core muscles. These are important in every day activities and need to be “engaged” in order to exercise safely. So core muscles really do matter. Here’s what Cori has to say…

“Many of you may have been to a gym or an exercise class and heard the words ‘engage your core’ or ‘set your core’, and hopefully you were instructed on how to do this.  However there are common misconceptions about what core stabilisation is and how it may be improved.

In … Continue reading »

PIP Breast Augmentation Implant

The current scandal relating to PIP breast implants exposes an ugly side of cosmetic surgery as practised by some of the large cosmetic surgery groups in the UK. The details are still emerging but it appears that a few commercial organisations that made profits from implanting substandard breast implants (unknowingly) are now refusing to pay for the removal of these implants. Yesterday, a group of 60 women marched in protest in London. They began their protest at the headquarters of the Harley Medical … Continue reading »

Recurrent Veins After Stripping

I meet a lot of people who request varicose veins treatment and removal in Somerset and Dorset who are very nervous. Some are frightened of  needles, some don’t like hospitals and some say they just want to be put out completely and not see anything. My team and I understand that having a vein treatment or removal is an important event and that people need to have the confidence of knowing that they are being treated by experts. At The VeinCare Centre, we treat … Continue reading »

New Year Shape Up

At this time of year many of us are thinking about getting into shape, the advent of the New Year providing a surge of motivation. People want to know how to lose weight and get a toned appearance as quickly as possible. Well, I have asked Coriander Firmager who is a qualified personal trainer to give all of us her expert advice. As many people are so pleased with how good their legs look and feel once I have treated their leg veins, I have asked Cori to start with some general tips and then to give … Continue reading »