How much does varicose vein surgery (stripping) cost privately in the UK? (2026)

Private varicose vein surgery removes the faulty main vein through small cuts in the groin and leg, sometimes with removal of bulging side veins, and remains an option for veins unsuitable for heat or injection treatment.

We looked at the self-pay price lists several hospital groups make public. For varicose vein surgery (stripping), the figures ran from £1,933 to £5,985, and the table gives each one with the hospital and the exact item named in its list.

A guide price can move after assessment, for example if your consultant recommends a different variant. Always ask for the final figure in writing before agreeing.

Under anaesthetic a cut in the groin allows the faulty vein to be tied and pulled out through a lower cut, and bulging branches may be removed through tiny cuts. Dressings and bandages are applied.

Ask why surgery rather than ablation is suggested for your veins, and what the price includes for follow-up.

Several things move the cost of varicose vein surgery (stripping) up or down. These are the ones worth asking about first.

• One leg or both: Nuffield Edinburgh lists stripping at £1,933 for one leg and £2,683 for both.

• Anaesthetic: general or spinal anaesthesia adds anaesthetist fees compared with local-only ablation.

• Hospital pricing: published surgical prices ranged from about £1,933 to £5,985 in the lists we retrieved.

• Extent of surgery: added removal of side veins by tiny cuts takes more theatre time.

• Pre-operative duplex scan and consultation.

Quotes rarely list everything, so it helps to know what to look for. The table sets out typical inclusions and extras for this procedure.

Insurers usually cover surgery for symptomatic varicose veins with scan evidence, with authorisation.

If you are using insurance, get pre-authorisation in writing before treatment and ask which fees your policy limits could leave uncovered. If you are paying yourself, some hospital groups offer medical finance subject to status; check the rate, term and total repayable before agreeing.

NHS vein treatment follows criteria and is more often endovenous ablation, with surgery for selected veins.

In England the NHS aims to start non-urgent consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral, and patients can ask to be offered alternative providers if that is likely to be exceeded. Actual waits vary by trust and specialty.

Recovery takes days to a couple of weeks, with bruising and compression, and a slower return to heavy exercise than after ablation.

Few people need more than the planned care, but the cost position if they do is worth settling before treatment.

• Bruising and wound problems are common, and nerve damage, infection or clots are uncommon; ask about the plan if complications occur.

• New varicose veins can appear after surgery, so some people need further treatment.

When you have two or three estimates, these questions help you see which is genuinely the better value.

• Why is surgery chosen over ablation for me?

• Does the price cover both legs?

• What follow-up and stockings are included?

• What would recurrence treatment cost?

• Are professional fees and hospital charges shown as separate lines, and is the total a firm figure or an estimate?