Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

Service summary:

Specialty Consultant details:

Consultant Name:	Specialties:
Mr Hannon	Vascular surgery Aneurysm surgery
Mr O’Reilly	Vascular surgery
Mr Lee	Vascular surgery Wound management
Mr Soong	Vascular surgery

Other information

Endovascular surgery

The unit has an international reputation in endovascular management of aortic aneurysm. Well over 150 patients have had planned repairs by this technique and approximately 40 have now had emergency aortic aneurysm repair using this technique.

New Laser Zaps Varicose Veins

Within hours of having new laser treatment for varicose veins at the Belfast City Hospital, patients can be back at work.

After conventional surgery, it can take up to six weeks for patients to recover completely, but with the new technology now being pioneered at the Belfast City Hospital patients can be out of hospital minutes after the procedure.

Varicose veins affect up to one in three women and around one in five men. While for most people they are mainly a cosmetic problem, for others they can cause a range of problems. For example, poor circulation can lead to skin problems, including eczema and skin ulcers.

The chance of getting varicose veins is increased by pregnancy and being overweight.

Symptoms which often worsen after prolonged sitting or standing include a dull, heavy aching or burning sensation and fatigue in the legs, as well as swelling of the feet and ankles and itchy skin.

A leaky one-way valve in the groin area causes the majority of faulty veins. Blood in the leg veins normally flows back to the heart, but gravity and even coughing and sneezing, have the effect of trying to push blood back down.

The one-way valve stops blood flowing back to the legs. But it can, for a variety of reasons, stop working properly and begin to leak blood into the legs.

When the blood does go back, it raises the pressure in the veins, causing blood vessels to dilate, resulting in varicose veins. Surgery usually involves a general anaesthetic and the stripping out of a vein. A wound is made in the groin, and a ligature put around the vein to replace the leaking valve.

A wire is then pushed down the vein and the whole thing is stripped out.

The new treatment, known as EVLT (Endo Venous Laser Treatment), does not require a general anaesthetic, and uses laser fibres to get rid of the problem vein.

Ultrasound is used to locate the vein, and then a tiny hole is made in the skin behind the knee. A laser fibre is threaded through the hole up to the leaky valve.

The position of the working end of the fibre is checked then the laser fibre is slowly pulled back while being fired. Essentially it damages the lining of the vein as it fires so that the vein just disappears. It takes only about 30-45 minutes.

According to Ray Hannon, Consultant Surgeon at Belfast City Hospital, the procedure brings many added advantages for the patient:

“About 70 % of people are suitable for this laser treatment. There is much less risk of complication and infection. Early data from America suggests that the recurrence rate of varicose veins is lower after laser treatment. Our initial results show that within six weeks of treatment, varicose veins have disappeared in around half of patients and no further treatment is required.”