New surgical treatment for varicose veins

A NEW surgical treatment for varicose veins is to be offered at a private hospital in the Lothians.

The Spire Murrayfield Hospital will be the first private clinic in Scotland to offer the minimal invasive treatment.

The condition, which causes swollen, twisted and unsightly veins, affects around 25 per cent of adult women and 15 per cent of adult men.

Traditional treatment is with open surgery in an operation that involves removing the vein.

The new procedure sees the veins closed up, and can be done under a local anaesthetic. It also leaves fewer surgical scars, and speeds up the recovery time.