what is Varicose Vein Treatment?
Endogenous ablation uses energy to cauterize (burn) and close varicose veins. Doctors use it to help ease symptoms such as pain, swelling, and irritation. Ablation is safe, less invasive than surgery, and leaves virtually no scars.
Tell your doctor about any recent illnesses, medical conditions, and allergies. List the medications you take, including herbal supplements and aspirin. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking aspirin, no steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or blood thinners before your procedure. Leave jewelry at home and wear loose, comfortable clothing. You may need to wear a gown. Plan to have someone drive you home afterward.
What is Varicose Vein Treatment (Endovenous Ablation of Varicose Veins)?
Varicose veins are abnormally large veins often seen in the legs. Normally, blood travels from the heart to the legs by arteries and back to the heart through veins. Veins have one-way valves that allow blood to return from the legs against gravity. If the valves leak, blood pools in the veins, and they can become enlarged or varicose.
Endovenous ablation is an image-guided, minimally invasive treatment. It uses radiofrequency or laser energy to cauterize (burn) and close the abnormal veins that lead to varicose veins.
What are some common uses of the procedure?
Doctors may use this procedure for cosmetic purposes. However, it is more often used to help ease symptoms such as:
aching or throbbing pain
leg heaviness/fatigue
swelling
skin irritation or sores (ulcers)
skin discoloration
painful swelling of the veins (phlebitis)
How should I prepare?
Tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including herbal supplements. List any allergies, especially to local anesthetic, general anesthesia or to contrast materials. Your doctor may tell you to stop taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or blood thinners before your procedure.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing. You will need to remove all clothing and jewelry in the area under examination.
Plan to have someone drive you home after your procedure.
You may need to wear a gown during the procedure.
What does the equipment look like?
This procedure uses an ultrasound machine, catheter, radiofrequency electrode or laser fiber, and console.
Ultrasound scanners consist of a computer console, video display screen and an attached transducer. The transducer is a small hand-held device that resembles a microphone. Some exams may use different transducers (with different capabilities) during a single exam. The transducer sends out inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body and then listens for the returning echoes. The principles are similar to sonar used by boats and submarines.
The technologist applies a small amount of gel to the area under examination and places the transducer there. The gel allows sound waves to travel back and forth between the transducer and the area under examination. The ultrasound image is immediately visible on a video display screen that looks like a computer monitor. The computer creates the image based on the loudness (amplitude), pitch (frequency) and time it takes for the ultrasound signal to return to the transducer. It also takes into account what type of body structure and/or tissue the sound is traveling through.
A catheter is a long, thin plastic tube that is considerably smaller than a "pencil lead", or approximately 1/8 inch in diameter.
Laser fibers and radiofrequency electrodes are long thin wires that carry energy from power generators into the body
Dr. Sridhar Devu has 11 years of expertise in Radio Diagnosis, Image-guided Interventions, Minimally invasive Endovascular Interventions, and Daycare Oncology