Perhaps everyone knows what varicose veins are. If you ask someone right now, they would say varicose veins are the visible veins at the back of our legs.
But what most people don't know, including me, is that varicose veins also cause pain. They can also be an indication of a much severe vein condition called deep vein thrombosis in Singapore, which can be lethal as well.
My father's livelihood for the past 25 years is our small bakery. Every crack of dawn, he would wake up, stand for more than three hours kneading two to four batches of dough for our bread. I could notice his varicose veins on his calf by then. At first, only an inch of vein bulged underneath his skin, behind his knee. Over time, the varicose veins formed into cobwebs of veins. He pretty much ignored it, so did my mum.
My father has been into cycling since his retirement three years ago. Every morning, he would bike around the neighbourhood. On Sundays, he and his cycling club would bike around the town.
But not long ago, my father complained about the pain in his legs. His legs throbbed, and his ankles swelled. He said he constantly had leg cramps during their cycling. Back then, I didn't know that varicose veins could manifest such symptoms, but I still suspected them as the cause of my father's leg pain and frequent cramps.
Vein Clinic
The first thing I did was to find a vein clinic in Singapore that can treat varicose veins. What I found on the internet was Cheng SC Veins and Endovascular Clinic.
Fortunately, the clinic was just a twenty-minute drive from the house, which made it ideal.
So that night, I made an appointment for the next day for my father.
Diagnosis
My first impression of this vein clinic in Singapore was it is clean, organised, and very welcoming. Very far from chaotic scenes from other clinics that reeks of antiseptics.
The staff was warm to us and assisted us. After confirming our appointment, the secretary told us to wait a bit because the vein doctor still had a patient and will be finished in a moment.
The vein doctor began his physical assessment on my father's legs. He asked my father the common questions, including when the pain started, how painful it is, and so on. He also asked about my father's medical history. If he had surgery and operation, or is he taking medicine and maintenance drugs.
Based on the vein doctor's assessment, it indeed was varicose veins that caused my father pain.
Honestly, I was hesitant to send my father for a consultation at first because he was already 60, and that age does not really do well with treatment and operation.
But our vein doctor was very informative and honest with us (and humorous, too) and assured us that the treatment would be safe and effective. And I could clearly see that the clinic is well-equipped with high-quality medical instruments and equipment. It gave me peace of mind as well.
Despite his diagnosis, our vein doctor recommended an ultrasound to make sure my father doesn't have deep vein thrombosis in Singapore.
Varicose Veins Treatment
Thankfully, the results of my father's ultrasound didn't give any signs of deep vein thrombosis in Singapore.
Our vein doctor laid out all the available varicose veins treatments for us. According to him, their most advanced varicose veins treatment was the ClariVein. He said that it was a minimally invasive procedure that uses ultrasound and an infusion catheter.
To be fair, he also discussed other varicose veins treatment, including the EVLT, radiofrequency ablation, sclerotherapy, and even compression stockings. All in all, he gave us five treatment options. I was quite surprised because, for a clinic, they had as many treatments as hospitals can offer. I was really impressed by Cheng SC Veins and Endovascular Clinic.
Our vein doctor was very transparent with us. He told us that my father's varicose veins were a mild case, and sclerotherapy would be enough. However, there is a chance of recurring, so we opt for the radiofrequency ablation.
Aftercare
My father's radiofrequency ablation treatment was quick and efficient. Each treatment lasted for at least one hour. My father completed his treatment course for two weeks.
According to him, he experienced only a little pain during the entire varicose veins treatment.
During the aftercare period, my father wore compression stockings for several weeks after the treatment to prevent the varicose veins from recurring.
One year later
My father returned to his Sunday bike club. Besides the visible veins underneath the skin of his legs, the pain went away as well. He rarely experienced cramps. He had few whenever he didn't warm up before hitting the road.
I thought the varicose veins treatment would be tedious, but it wasn't. Thanks to our vein clinic in Singapore, Cheng SC Veins and Endovascular Clinic, my dad could enjoy his retirement days more.
I highly recommend visiting Cheng SC Veins and Endovascular Clinic to people looking for varicose veins treatment in Singapore.
