The importance of Follow-up Ultrasound Scans after Varicose Vein procedures

The use of colour Duplex ultrasound scans to diagnose venous conditions and guide modern treatments such as the endovenous laser has been one of the great advances in vascular medicine and surgery.

However, Duplex scans are also an important quality control method and are an essential part of the follow-up process after venous treatments.

The research I undertook as part of my Doctorate of Medicine thesis established ultrasound quality control as an important principle to improve patient outcomes. It is absolutely essential to apply a method to ensure that the result of any treatment has achieved its objective.

Therefore, all my venous patients undergo a repeat colour Duplex ultrasound scan as part of their routine follow-up consultation to ensure that the treatment has been 100% successful. Just relying on physical examination alone can be misleading and the scan can detect sections of vein which may not have completely sealed. Detected early, these veins can often be simply treated in the outpatient clinic. If missed, these veins can be a cause of early recurrent varicose veins which require further surgery to correct them.

Post-operative duplex scans and surgical quality control after varicose veins surgery

A major theme in the media at the moment is the focus on surgeons’ results for various procedures. One of Mr Gaunt’s major research interests is the application of quality control techniques to provide independent evidence that the results of surgery have been as successful as the surgeon believes them to be. Sometimes the results can surprising, as dealing with the multiple variations of human anatomy and physiology present a constant challenge to all medical practitioners.

Mr Gaunt’s MD research thesis investigated the use of ultrasound techniques to assess the results of arterial surgery. For this work Mr Gaunt was awarded his MD with Distinction and also won many research prizes including the prestigious Moynihan Medal and the European Vascular Surgery Prize.

Mr Gaunt has used these principles of ultrasound quality control in all aspects of his work and particularly the assessment of venous surgery. A key investigation is the post-operative colour Duplex ultrasound scan which is performed as part of the follow-up consultation in all patients of Mr Gaunt who have undergone venous procedures. This enables the small minority of patients who have problems to be picked up early while they are easily correctable. Mr Gaunt says, “I am constantly surprised to hear of surgeons to believe they are infallible and don’t see the need to check the results of their work. I believe the post-operative Duplex scan is essential to achieve the best possible results after venous surgery”.