I hope you have all had a good summer and have managed to make the most of the good weather (up until rainy August!)
Now that the autumn is upon us and for many of us the legs will be mostly covered from now on, the colder months ahead are an ideal time to have treatment of any varicose veins and thread veins so that the legs can be exposed next summer – what a good incentive to come for a consultation if you have varicose veins or thread veins that concern you to see what treatment options are available.
Many patients are still surprised by how simply varicose veins and thread veins can be treated and a consultation is the best way to find out. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Blog
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Monday, 9 August 2010
Dispelling the myth about varicose veins
The myth that varicose veins only hit women who are pregnant or are of a certain age is one that I am constantly looking to dispel.
Any man or woman, of any age, can be affected at anytime. Take the case of Ian Coveny. Here was a man in his early 50s who had rowed for Cambridge in the boat race.
Surely someone so physically fit wouldn’t have problems with varicose veins? Wrong. As Ian readily admits, he did suffer and part of this was because of his reluctance to get help when the early signs showed themselves.
It was only when Ian’s pain became insufferable, that he finally sought the help of his local GP who referred him to me.
It took Ian an incredible six years before he got help and he admits that he now feels a bit silly for not coming to me sooner.
But this is no advertisement for my services. This is just to make people realise that they can’t just ignore the onset of varicose veins. While men just view staining for instance as a cosmetic issue, it can eventually lead to severe pain and ulceration.
The activities of healthy rowers like Ian, or any other sports men or women, does not make them immune to problems. Indeed, when statistics show that one in five people of the population get varicose veins, it is obvious sufferers will come from all walks of life.
I guess one reason why men, and even some women, are reluctant to seek help is that they believe they will face a long spell away from work or sport. Again wrong. Correction of varicose veins used to mean a general anaesthetic and weeks off training to recover. But with the new radial fibre laser that I use, the operation is performed under local anaesthetic and you are back to training within days.
Ian recently joked that he was the face (or maybe the legs) of varicose veins. It might have been a light-hearted suggestion but I praise Ian’s attitude in highlighting a potentially serious problem.
Any man or woman, of any age, can be affected at anytime. Take the case of Ian Coveny. Here was a man in his early 50s who had rowed for Cambridge in the boat race.
Surely someone so physically fit wouldn’t have problems with varicose veins? Wrong. As Ian readily admits, he did suffer and part of this was because of his reluctance to get help when the early signs showed themselves.
It was only when Ian’s pain became insufferable, that he finally sought the help of his local GP who referred him to me.
It took Ian an incredible six years before he got help and he admits that he now feels a bit silly for not coming to me sooner.
But this is no advertisement for my services. This is just to make people realise that they can’t just ignore the onset of varicose veins. While men just view staining for instance as a cosmetic issue, it can eventually lead to severe pain and ulceration.
The activities of healthy rowers like Ian, or any other sports men or women, does not make them immune to problems. Indeed, when statistics show that one in five people of the population get varicose veins, it is obvious sufferers will come from all walks of life.
I guess one reason why men, and even some women, are reluctant to seek help is that they believe they will face a long spell away from work or sport. Again wrong. Correction of varicose veins used to mean a general anaesthetic and weeks off training to recover. But with the new radial fibre laser that I use, the operation is performed under local anaesthetic and you are back to training within days.
Ian recently joked that he was the face (or maybe the legs) of varicose veins. It might have been a light-hearted suggestion but I praise Ian’s attitude in highlighting a potentially serious problem.
Friday, 9 July 2010
Sports and varicose veins
With the summer upon us, I think it is a fitting time to discuss the affect varicose veins can have on sportsmen of any age and ability.
If you love playing sport all year round or simply get inspired by watching Nadal or Murray at Wimbledon, it can be very easy to push any potential problems with varicose veins to the background.
People fear that they will be deprived of playing sport for months on end due to a lengthy rehabilitation time period.
Nothing could be more wrong. The correction of varicose veins did use to mean a general anaesthetic and weeks off to recover.
The Endovenous Laser technique, used by myself, shatters this myth allowing people to be back on their feet in next to no time.
In most cases surgery can be completed under local anaesthetic and you can be back playing sport within days.
Ignoring the signs of varicose vein problems can actually impact on sporting performance.
The veins are responsible for returning the waste blood from the legs back to the body for detoxification and re-oxygeneration.
If the function of the veins is impaired, as with varicose veins, toxins such as lactic acid build up quicker in the muscles resulting in the muscles getting tired quicker than they should – meaning you cannot run as fast or as long as you should.
While sportsmen and women are no more prone to problems than anyone, one in five of the population suffer from varicose veins.
The story of Alison Cronk is a classic tale of how an operation on varicose vein troubles can make the world of difference.
Alison admits that she was barely able to run for a bus, pre-operation. But following successful treatment, she not only started running but completed the Cambridge Chariots of Fire race just nine months after the surgery and followed that with three separate 10k races.
In her own words, Alison says the successful surgery had “far-reaching” affects on her lifestyle.
If you love playing sport all year round or simply get inspired by watching Nadal or Murray at Wimbledon, it can be very easy to push any potential problems with varicose veins to the background.
People fear that they will be deprived of playing sport for months on end due to a lengthy rehabilitation time period.
Nothing could be more wrong. The correction of varicose veins did use to mean a general anaesthetic and weeks off to recover.
The Endovenous Laser technique, used by myself, shatters this myth allowing people to be back on their feet in next to no time.
In most cases surgery can be completed under local anaesthetic and you can be back playing sport within days.
Ignoring the signs of varicose vein problems can actually impact on sporting performance.
The veins are responsible for returning the waste blood from the legs back to the body for detoxification and re-oxygeneration.
If the function of the veins is impaired, as with varicose veins, toxins such as lactic acid build up quicker in the muscles resulting in the muscles getting tired quicker than they should – meaning you cannot run as fast or as long as you should.
While sportsmen and women are no more prone to problems than anyone, one in five of the population suffer from varicose veins.
The story of Alison Cronk is a classic tale of how an operation on varicose vein troubles can make the world of difference.
Alison admits that she was barely able to run for a bus, pre-operation. But following successful treatment, she not only started running but completed the Cambridge Chariots of Fire race just nine months after the surgery and followed that with three separate 10k races.
In her own words, Alison says the successful surgery had “far-reaching” affects on her lifestyle.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Facial vein treatment
Hello again and a belated Happy New Year. With the year moving on swiftly and with any luck better weather approaching, I wanted to update you about the treatment available now for facial veins, including red veins and spider veins, which is called Veinwave Thermocoagulation.
Facial veins are common in both men and women and particularly seem to affect those people who are exposed to extremes of weather, such as skiers, sailors or outdoor workers or those with fair and sensitive skin.
Veinwave is performed in my clinic as a walk-in/walk-out procedure and works by delivering a small pulse of high frequency electrical current to the veins which makes then collapse and disappear.
Veinwave is a safe, effective, quick treatment ideal for men and woman who would like treatment of cosmetic facial veins.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to consult me about facial veins or if you would like any further information about Veinwave.
Facial veins are common in both men and women and particularly seem to affect those people who are exposed to extremes of weather, such as skiers, sailors or outdoor workers or those with fair and sensitive skin.
Veinwave is performed in my clinic as a walk-in/walk-out procedure and works by delivering a small pulse of high frequency electrical current to the veins which makes then collapse and disappear.
Veinwave is a safe, effective, quick treatment ideal for men and woman who would like treatment of cosmetic facial veins.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to consult me about facial veins or if you would like any further information about Veinwave.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
new-look website
Hello and welcome to my new-look website which aims to inform patients, current and prospective, all about my work as a Vascular Surgeon.
With massive advances in the world of varicose and thread veins, not to mention other areas of my work, I thought it was time to give my website a thorough overhaul.
As you can see, there are now dedicated sections for the conditions I treat on a regular basis ensuring patients have their questions answered at a click of the button.
There are also testimonies from former patients, detailed information about my medical career to date and a dedicated section to men’s problems – an area which I will be addressing in more detail in a later blog.
And although there is a lot of detail on the website, I want to reassure patients that I am only a phone call away should you have any more questions or queries.
My thanks must go to the website writers and the great web designer they are a fantastic professional team, working along side Debbie Callaby, their sterling work on the revamp of www.michaelgaunt.com should give you many answers to any questions you may have.
In the weeks to come, this regularly updated blog will feature anecdotes from my work – including the research laboratory I head at Addenbrooke’s Hospital – and my opinions on the various topics and breakthroughs in the world of varicose veins.
Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or comments you might have.
With massive advances in the world of varicose and thread veins, not to mention other areas of my work, I thought it was time to give my website a thorough overhaul.
As you can see, there are now dedicated sections for the conditions I treat on a regular basis ensuring patients have their questions answered at a click of the button.
There are also testimonies from former patients, detailed information about my medical career to date and a dedicated section to men’s problems – an area which I will be addressing in more detail in a later blog.
And although there is a lot of detail on the website, I want to reassure patients that I am only a phone call away should you have any more questions or queries.
My thanks must go to the website writers and the great web designer they are a fantastic professional team, working along side Debbie Callaby, their sterling work on the revamp of www.michaelgaunt.com should give you many answers to any questions you may have.
In the weeks to come, this regularly updated blog will feature anecdotes from my work – including the research laboratory I head at Addenbrooke’s Hospital – and my opinions on the various topics and breakthroughs in the world of varicose veins.
Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or comments you might have.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
