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Rodney patients no longer need to travel to Auckland to have laser therapy for varicose veins and other vascular issues.
That’s because for the past few years, Coast to Coast Health Care in Warkworth has offered a wide variety of laser vein treatment options, which have become increasingly popular.
In particular, it’s Coast to Coast’s vascular specialist Dr Mark Denekamp who’s in demand.
Denekamp has been performing laser vein treatments for nearly three decades, and at Coast to Coast from around 2021, after delays starting the in-house service due to covid lockdowns.
“It’s a relatively new service for Coast to Coast Health Care but I’ve been treating varicose veins non-surgically since 1997. I’ve got a variety of lasers so I can also treat face veins and other vessel areas, venous lakes on the lips and so on,” he says.
“There’s a lot of things we can do including cold laser therapy for inflammation, remodelling scars and treating fungal nail infections.”
Denekamp says laser therapy is difficult to access through the public health system unless it’s for severe varicose veins. And to be covered by an insurance provider, the laser treatment must generally be for a medical reason.
“For example, symptoms like pain, swelling, skin changes, ulceration rather than purely cosmetic removal of superficial veins,” he says.
At Coast to Coast, Denekamp’s patients get value for money though.
He says if varicose veins are left untreated the consequences can range from mild cosmetic concerns to serious medical complications, depending on the severity and individual health factors.
To treat large varicose veins found deep in the legs, Denekamp uses the VenaCure 1470 laser, which inserts a laser fibre directly into the affected vein through a small puncture.
“Laser energy is then fired inside your veins to close them off. Once closed, the blood that normally flowed through that vein is rerouted to healthier veins nearby. Over time, the treated vein is absorbed by the body and disappears.
“It’s a minimally invasive procedure and done under local anaesthesia, usually with ultrasound guidance.
The small puncture means no large incision, minimal scarring, and faster recovery compared to vein stripping surgery.
“With lasers you’re not cutting the skin, you’re actually just doing it inside, so it’s safer and more effective than the old surgical method.”
When it comes to smaller varicose veins and spider veins, Denekamp offers sclerotherapy, a treatment that involves injecting a solution directly into the affected vein causing it to collapse and stick together.
Over time, the vein becomes scar tissue and fades, he says.
For anyone considering laser therapy, he recommends an initial consultation.
“We can diagnose what you’ve got, and then recommend a treatment. The results speak for themselves. Because one, it gets rid of the symptoms but two, it also looks a lot better,” Denekamp says.
