Endovascular laser ablation is a minimally-invasive, one-hour procedure that replaces the surgical stripping and binding commonly associated with varicose vein treatment. Unlike the traditional method, which many patients found very painful and required up to six weeks recovery time, laser vein ablation involves minimal discomfort and immediate recovery for most patients.This procedure is an option for treating greater saphenous vein incompetence, which causes varicose veins. The laser used in the procedure destroys the greater saphenous vein, relieving the backflow pressure and allows the blood to flow in the right direction. This eliminates the varicose vein and the pain caused by it.
Laser Vein Ablation
Laser Vein Ablation is an outpatient procedure performed in our office. After anesthetizing the skin, an ultrasound of the veins of the leg is performed. Using the ultrasound as a guide, a thin laser fiber is inserted into the vein. A highly concentrated beam of laser light is sent through the fiber, which eliminates the abnormal vein.
Endovascular laser treatment device
An endovascular laser treatment device preferably includes a catheter having a hub at its proximal end, an optical fiber for insertion into the catheter, a fiber connector attached to the optical fiber at a selected distance from the distal end of the optical fiber, and a temporary stop removably mounted around the optical fiber. The treatment device has two positions: a protective position and an operating position. As the fiber is inserted through the catheter, the temporary stop rests against the hub and places the fiber tip in the protective position where the distal end of the optical fiber is positioned near the distal end of the catheter, but is still disposed inside the catheter. When the temporary stop is removed and the fiber connector is coupled with the catheter hub, the fiber tip is in the operating position where the distal end of the optical fiber extends past the distal end of the catheter by a predetermined distance to expose the fiber tip.
Treatment
Laser therapy allows a specialist to seal veins closed and reroute the flow of blood to other veins deeper within the leg. The procedure itself requires only a few minutes, and a follow-up appointment will help confirm that the veins have completely closed.
UT Southwestern endovascular therapists also use sclerotherapy injections to treat larger varicose veins that do not respond to laser treatments. Both types of treatments are minimally invasive and typically require three to five appointments over a period of three to six months. For patients who are candidates for sclerotherapy, we will use a schlerosing solution or similar medical treatment to absorb the vein and eliminate its appearance.
