Gran’s last years spent in ‘absolute agony’ after common op to ‘look her best’ for granddaughter’s wedding
A GRAN spent her last years in “absolute agony” after undergoing a common treatment in the hopes of looking her best for her granddaughter’s wedding.
Retired nurse Yvonne Goulding underwent laser treatment for her varicose veins in 2021.
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Soon after the £2,000 procedure, the 76-year-old started to complain of increasing pain, and had to be rushed to A&E.
At hospital, doctors had to fight to save her leg before transferring her to the hospital’s burns unit for skin grafts to repair severe scarring and skin damage.
Her husband Laurence Goulding, 74, from Weston-super-Mare, said the ordeal left Yvonne in “absolute agony” in her final years.
She passed away from unrelated cancer last year.
The widower said the procedure had left his wife’s confidence “ruined” in the last few years of her life and that she only wore trousers or jeans to hide the scarring on her legs.
He said: “It ruined her confidence and her lifestyle.
“Gone were the days of wearing anything, short trousers, shorts or ordinary stockings. They had to be heavy to cover it, flesh-coloured stockings.
“We’d go on holiday and she couldn’t wear shorts or crops. She had to wear flesh-coloured trousers or tights to cover up the scar.
“Walking-wise, for a few months afterwards she struggled with walking because it was the calf muscle that had been more or less destroyed in its own right.”
Yvonne went to a privately-run vein clinic in Bristol in August 2021, where she was diagnosed with varicose veins after complaining of leg heaviness, tiredness, and cramps.
Doctors advised her to undergo Endovenous Laser Ablation Therapy on both of her legs, a procedure designed to close affected veins using lasers.
The mum-of-two paid £2,000 and was discharged on the same day with compression stockings.
However, she started to complain of being in “absolute agony” as she was being driven the 20-mile trip home by her husband – who then rushed her to the local hospital.
Laurence said: “It took a fortnight in Southmead Hospital, in the burns unit.
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“A few weeks after that, before they got the chance to say ‘you need to have a skin graft, otherwise it won’t stop bleeding’, we signed to say the photographic evidence could be used as a teaching situation.
“They’d never seen anything like it before. I’ve got all the pictures of it from start to finish. It’s pretty gory to say the least.”
Laurence pursued legal action, and the clinic later paid him around £9,000 in a settlement-though it did not admit liability.
Tragically, Yvonne passed away in April 2024, months after the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary, meaning she did not see the outcome of the case.
What are varicose veins and how are they treated?
Varicose veins are widened veins that look swollen and twisted under the skin.
They usually appear on the legs and may feel lumpy and bulge out of the skin.
They sometimes cause other symptoms that affect your legs, such as:
- Pain, aching or a feeling of heaviness
- Skin changes, such as itching, colour changes or dry, scaly skin
- Swollen ankles or legs
The symptoms may be worse after standing for a long time, and may get better when you rest with your legs up.
Varicose veins may get worse without treatment, but this usually happens very slowly over several years.
They don’t always need treatment, but a GP may refer you for specialist tests if you have pain, heaviness, swollen legs, itching or skin changes or any complications, such as ulcers on your legs.
There are several types of treatment that may be offered, including:
- Procedures to block blood flow in the veins, such as endothermal ablation and foam sclerotherapy
- Surgery to remove varicose veins
- Compression stockings
Treatment to improve how varicose veins look is not usually available on the NHS if they’re not causing any other problems. You may be able to pay for it privately.
Source: NHS
Laurence is now speaking out to raise awareness to others.
He said: “Whilst we did receive a payout we have had no apology, and absolutely no acknowledgement of what my wife went through.
“I worry that lessons haven’t really been learnt, and that there may be others affected as Yvonne was, either in Bristol or elsewhere.
“I hope that by speaking out anyone undergoing something similar will be aware of the risks.”
The Sun has approached the clinic for comment.