Dr Tang and Dr Wong gave a combined update over a lunch on the management of varicose veins to local GPs at Grand Park City Hall on the 24th August.
This was kindly sponsored by Servier.
Patients with varicose veins don’t always need surgery. Early stage disease with minimal symptoms can be managed conservatively with medical grade compression stockings and micronized flavonoids or Daflon.
The take home messages from the talks were:
- If using flavonoids – use the Original DAFLON. The generics do not work as well in terms of alleviating symptoms such as cramps, leg heaviness and swelling.
- Doses of up to 3gm daily can potentially be used to help symptom alleviation but once stopped the symptoms will recur.
- Daflon for vein pain can be taken long term safely.
- Daflon has the 1gm tablets with pure micronised form for better absorption and action and reduction of number of tablets to be taken.
Newer keyhole modalities to treat the faulty veins were also highlighted including thermal techniques such as microwave and radiofrequency endovenous ablation and non thermal techniques such as cyanoacrylate glue embolisation with Venaseal, foam sclerotherapy and mechanochemical ablation using ClariVein.
All these new surgical options can be done as daycare surgery, patients are ambulating immediately with minimal pain and back to normal activities within a few days. There are no big cuts or incisions and patients may not need any stitches either!
