How The Whiteley Clinic has changed Vein Surgery in the UK continued...

2006 – Publication showing our Keyhole techniques don’t allow “neovascularisation” at the groin

Recurrent varicose veins after stripping are often associated with “neovascularisation” or new vein growth at the groin after the operation. We published our 5 year results showing that using our “keyhole techniques, and by closing the vein with heat (“Thermoablation”) the was no neovascular tissue formed. Therefore our techniques reduce the risks of recurrent varicose veins.
Reference:
Radiofrequency ablation (VNUS Closure®) does not cause neo-vasularisation at the groin at one year: Results of a case controlled study. Kianifard B, Holdstock JM, Whiteley MS. Surgeon 2006 4:2; 71-74

2006 – Invention of a Keyhole technique for treating the Small Saphenous Vein

Before we invented this technique, scars were 4 – 6cm long and the small Saphenous vein was missed at operation in between 10-30% of cases. Mark Whiteley invented this ultrasound technique which meant it was never missed, and the incision was smaller than 1cm.
Reference:
Minimally invasive technique for ligation and stripping of the small saphenous vein guided by intra-operative duplex ultrasound.
MS Whiteley, G Lewis, JM Holdstock, C Smith, CS Harrison, CL McGuinness, BA Price. Surgeon 2006: 4; 6: 372-377
NB: This technique has now been superseded by our EVLA technique under local anaesthetic.

November 2006 – National Prize for showing how commonly Pelvic Vein Reflux is associated with Varicose Veins in women

Judy Holdstock of The Whiteley Clinic won the Prize for the Best Paper at the Society of Vascular Technologists Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh. The research showed that approximately 1 in 5 women who have varicose veins and who have had children by vaginal delivery, have pelvic veins refluxing into their leg varicose veins. As no other UK unit was treating pelvic vein reflux at that time, it showed another cause as why many women might get recurrent varicose veins after surgery in other vein units.

5th March 2007 – Performed the First VNUS Closure® FAST™ in the UK

A new keyhole surgery technique called VNUS Closure FAST was introduced to the UK in March 2007. On the 5th March, The Whiteley Clinic performed the first of these in the UK.

March 2007 – 2nd Place in National Prize for identifying unsafe practices during EVLA (Endo Venous Laser Ablation)

Judy Holdstock and Barrie Price of The Whiteley Clinic showed that the then recommended way of giving local anaesthetic for EVLA (Endo Venous Laser Ablation) could damage the laser fibre and should not be used. They showed such damage could lead to release of laser energy at the wrong areas and could even lead to the laser fibre being left in the leg after surgery. They showed how to avoid this by using The Whiteley Clinic EVLA protocol.

2007 – Published the link between Pelvic Congestion Syndrome and Varicose Veins

In 2007 we published a paper showing the link between women who had given birth by normal vaginal delivery and who had both pelvic veins reflux (pelvic congestion syndrome) and varicose veins. We showed how often the pelvic veins feed into leg varicose veins in these women and suggested treatment.
Reference:
Prevalence and management of ovarian venous insufficiency in the presence of leg venous insufficiency. Marsh P, Price BA, Whiteley MS. Phlebology. 2007;22(4):192

November 2008 – Published our technique and results for treating pelvic vein reflux

In November 2008, our technique and results for treating refluxing pelvic veins by coil embolisation was published in an international journal.
Reference:
Pelvic vein embolisation in the management of varicose veins. Ratnam LA, Marsh P, Holdstock JM, Harrison CS, Hussain FF, Whiteley MS, Lopez A. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2008 Nov-Dec;31(6):1159-64.