TREATING
VARICOSE VEINS
Segmental Excision
 Large varicose veins and their branches can be surgically removed
through small 'band-aid' incisions that are usually closed with absorbable sutures and
butterfly bandages. This leaves minimal bruising, and effectively eliminates the symptoms
related to varicose veins. This procedure is usually done under light general anesthesia
in an operating room. It is 'outpatient,' meaning you can go home the same day - usually
within 1-2 hours after the procedure is completed. On a purely cosmetic level, the veins
will be removed, but there will be small overlying scars which fade with time.
Excision is usually covered by insurance so
long
as it is done for symptomatic or painful
veins.
Endo-Venous Ablation (ClosureŽ Procedure)
This is a minimally invasive procedure involving one small
'band-aid' incision above the knee. Through this incision and under ultrasound guidance, a
catheter (a thin flexible tube) is placed into the vein that runs up the thigh to the
groin. Heat is then applied to the end of the catheter causing the vein to coagulate and
collapse. Over several months, the body then absorbs the vein remnant so that it is gone.
By eliminating this 'feeding vein,' pressure on all of the smaller surface veins lower in
the leg is reduced, and therefore recurrent varicose vein formation is reduced. Calf and
ankle swelling is also diminished. ClosureŽ is usually done with the same anesthetic
routine as segmental excision, and in fact, it is usually done at the same time as the
excision procedure. Only one leg can be so treated at a time, but if both legs need to be
treated, then the second procedure can be done 1 week to 1 month later, depending on
patient preference.
ClosureŽ is usually covered
by insurance so long
as it is done for symptomatic or painful
veins.
ClosureŽ is a Registered Trademark of
VNUS Medical Technologies |
