Endovenous Saphenous Vein Ablation
Endovenous Saphenous Vein Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure to treat varicose veins in the legs. Using a laser, your vascular doctor will seal the faulty valves in the leg veins that cause varicosities. This procedure diverts blood flow to healthy veins.
Once the area around the varicose vein is numbed, a small nick is made through the skin and a thin catheter is inserted along the vein. Using an ultrasound to guide the catheter, your doctor will locate the valve to be treated and seal it with the heat form the laser.
For your comfort, both local anesthetic and Lorazepam are used and most patients report minimal discomfort during the procedure. The procedure is generally complete in less than an hour
Recovery from this procedure is quick and you can resume normal activity the day following the procedure. You may need to wear a gradient compression stocking to reduce bruising and tenderness.
Radiofrequency Ablation is similar to Endovenous Saphenous Vein Ablation in preparation and results. It differs by using radiofrequency catheter to deliver heat directly to the wall of the vein being treated. The heat causes the vein to shrink and the catheter is withdrawn along the vein until the entire vein is treated.
Ambulatory phlebectomy is a minimally invasive method for removing visible varicose veins from the legs. It is best for tortuous varicosities that cannot be treated by laser or radiofrequency ablation.
After numbing the area to be treated, your vascular doctor makes tiny punctures or stab incisions as small as 1mm over the vein. Using a small hook-like instrument, the doctor snares the vein and pulls it through the stab incision.
This procedure does not require sutures and there are no scars once the stab incisions heal. You can return to normal activity within a day and strenuous activity within 2 or 3 weeks. You will need to wear a compression stocking after the procedure to reduce discomfort and bruising and to aid in the healing process.
Cardiology Onsite patients experience excellent results with this procedure which has a 95% long-term success rate.
Sclerotherapy is the most commonly used method for removing small reticular and spider veins from the legs. A sclerosing medicine such as sotradecol is injected into the diseased veins using very tiny needles. The medicine causes the vein to close off and disappear over time. Although the procedure has been used for many years, recent advances in technique and technology have improved results which equal those of the more expensive laser treatments.
The number of treatments depends on the size of the area to be treated and the number of veins to be sclerozed. On average, 2-4 treatments are required and 80% clearance of spider veins can be achieved.
Once the veins are treated they do not return, but it is common for new spider veins to form especially in patients with problems in deeper leg veins. Periodic "touch ups" can keep be used to treat new spider veins as they appear.