Varicose vein surgery
What is varicose vein surgery? 1
Varicose veins are swollen or twisted blood vessels which are usually blue or dark purple in appearance and most frequently appear on your legs.
Varicose vein surgery can remove these veins – especially if they become problematic.
Varicose veins can cause a range of health problems, including blood clots, skin breakdown, and ulcers. In rarer cases, deep vein thrombosis can develop and spread to the lungs if blood clots get into the deeper veins in the leg.
There are two key surgical techniques to treat varicose veins (ligation and stripping, and phlebectomy2). They both involve using a series of small cuts to access and remove the veins.
Varicose vein surgery is usually performed by a vascular surgeon.
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Public and private hospital options
It’s important to understand how getting your procedure in a public or private hospital differs.
Note: Not all varicose vein removal surgery is done in hospital. It’s also commonly done as an outpatient procedure in a doctor’s practise.
| Question | Public system (Without health insurance) | Private system (With health insurance) |
|---|---|---|
| Will I avoid public hospital waiting lists? |
No. |
Yes. |
| Will I be able to choose my hospital? |
No. |
Yes. |
| Will I be able to choose my doctor or surgeon? |
No. |
Yes. |
| Will I have out-of-pocket costs? |
No. |
Yes. |
What's covered as an outpatient procedure?
Varicose vein surgery is sometimes done as an outpatient procedure – and this can have a big impact on your cost and coverage.
Health insurance usually won’t cover outpatient procedures, and Medicare coverage may vary.
How do I know if I’m an outpatient?
Our best recommendation is to ask your GP, specialist or hospital about it.
An ‘outpatient’ is someone who is not formally admitted to hospital. It’s easy to tell you’re an outpatient if your surgery isn’t done in a hospital. But sometimes even a surgery done in a hospital is considered an outpatient procedure. The rules can be confusing, so it’s worth asking about.
What’s covered in a public hospital?
Once you are discharged from hospital, you may still need to pay out-of-pocket for things like medicines and health services (like physiotherapy or occupational therapy).
What’s covered in a private hospital?
In a private hospital, private health insurance can cover some costs of varicose vein surgery.
You may have an out-of-pocket cost if you use private hospital cover when you get treatment. You can minimise some of these costs by choosing a hospital and specialist that have agreements with your health insurer.
If you have an excess on your cover, you will have to pay for that out of pocket.
What is hospital excess?
Hospital excess is the amount of money you contribute upfront (out of your own pocket) before you can claim a benefit on hospital treatment. With HBF hospital cover, you choose a set excess option when you first get hospital cover, but you can change your excess at any time.
With HBF, you only pay hospital excess once per person, per calendar year (to a maximum of twice on a family policy) when you’re admitted to hospital.
Are you an HBF member? You can check your excess in myHBF or the HBF App. This is the set amount you’ll pay when you’re admitted.
What is an out-of-pocket cost?
A hospital out-of-pocket cost is the portion of a hospital bill that you pay from your own pocket for which you won’t be reimbursed – by either health insurance or Medicare.
How to find health cover for varicose vein surgery
If you want private health insurance cover for varicose vein surgery, look for HBF hospital cover (not extras cover) that includes a category called ‘Heart and vascular system’.
You need to hold hospital cover that includes Heart and vascular system for two months before you can claim for varicose vein surgery (or 12 months if you need varicose vein surgery due to a pre-existing condition).
Ask your GP for an open referral
Your GP is the one who’ll most likely refer you to a specialist – but you may want the option to choose your own specialist.
Asking for an open referral can let you:
- Choose your own specialist.
- Find a specialist with good availability who can perform treatment at the hospital you prefer.
- Find a specialist that you trust to perform your surgery.
- Find a specialist with minimum out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Find an vascular surgeon with minimum out-of-pocket costs
To find vascular surgeons who have an agreement with HBF, just search for ‘vascular surgeon’ in our find a provider tool.
- Look for the “Full Cover” tick mark or “Access Gap Cover” tick mark.
- These specialists will help minimise your out-of-pocket cost.
If you’ve already started working with a specialist
If you’ve already got a specialist, ask them these questions:
- Do you have a Full Cover or No Gap agreement with HBF?
If they don’t, you may need to consider if their fees work with your budget. - What hospital(s) do you operate in?
You can then check if the hospital has a Full Cover or No Gap agreement with HBF.
Alternatives to varicose vein surgery1
Other forms of treatment and management of varicose veins include:
- Injecting chemicals into the vein (sclerotherapy).
- Sealing the veins with an electrical current.
- Destroying the veins with laser or high-intensity light.
- Wearing compression stockings.
- Exercise.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
Varicose vein surgery recovery2
Most patients return home one to two days after varicose vein surgery.
- Allow for one or two weeks off work and avoid heavy physical exertion.
- Avoid long periods of standing or sitting with crossed legs.
- Take at least a half-hour walk every day.
- Swelling on the feet and ankles and calf muscle may take a few weeks to disappear.
- Injuries to nerves may cause ‘pins and needles’ which may take up to two years to recover – or may be permanent.
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Further reading
