Venous Conditions
Information About Venous Disease
Your legs are made up of a network of veins. Healthy leg veins contain valves that open and close to assist the return of blood back to the heart. Venous reflux disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. This can cause blood to pool in your legs and lead to symptoms such as pain, swelling, swollen limbs, leg heaviness and fatigue, skin changes and skin ulcers, and varicose veins.
Venous Reflux Disease Symptoms
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are ropy appearing blue vessels under the skin, usually ¼ inch or larger in diameter. They are most often branches from the saphenous trunk veins, and have enlarged due to the excess pressure in the saphenous system. Varicose veins are unsightly and often painful. A clotted varicose vein causes the classic phlebitis, hot and red and painful skin at the site of the clot. Besides the visible symptoms, physical symptoms are tiredness, restless legs at night, heaviness in the leg, pain, aching, itching, throbbing and swelling, burning or a cramping sensation
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Ambulatory phlebectomy is a method of surgical removal of surface varicose veins. This is usually completed in our office using local anesthesia. Incisions are small and stitches are usually not necessary. After the vein has been removed by phlebectomy, a bandage and/or compression stocking is worn for a short period.
Venous Ablation
Highlights of the Closure® procedure
- Relief of symptoms
- Resume normal activity within a day
- Outpatient procedure
- Local or general anesthesia
- Good cosmetic outcome with minimal to no scarring, bruising or swelling
Spider Veins
Spider veins, medically known as telangiectases, are dilated capillary veins less than 2mm in diameter. They are small, blue to red appearing blood vessels that lie close to the surface of the skin and occur either in lines or web-like patterns. They are usually visible on the legs but sometimes are visible around the nose and lips and are commonly referred to as “broken veins.” They can ache, burn or itch now and then, but they are usually not symptomatic. Spider veins are not harmful and are simply unsightly.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a procedure used to treat varicose veins and spider veins. A tiny needle is used to inject a solution directly into the vein. The solution irritates the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together, and the blood to clot. Overtime, the body will absorb the treated vein. Mild discomfort may occur, and a cramping sensation may be felt for 1 to 2 minutes when larger veins are injected. The number of veins injected in one session is variable, depending on the size and location of the veins, and the patient’s overall medical condition. Anywhere from one to several sclerotherapy sessions may be needed for any vein region. Medically prescribed support hose and/or bandages may need to be worn for several days to several weeks to assist in resolution of the veins. In general, spider veins respond to treatment in 3 to 6 weeks, and larger veins respond in 3 to 4 months.
The VNUS® Closure Procedure
The VNUS® Closure procedure, an alternative treatment option to traditional vein stripping surgery, brings state-of-the-art technology to an age-old disease.
The Closure procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. Using ultrasound, your physician will position the Closure catheter into the diseased vein, through a small opening in the skin. The tiny catheter delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the vein wall. As the RF energy is delivered and the catheter is withdrawn, the vein wall is heated, causing the collagen in the wall to shrink and the vein to close. Once the diseased vein is closed, blood is re-routed to other healthy veins.
Following the procedure, a simple bandage is placed over the insertion site, and additional compression may be provided to aid healing. Your doctor may encourage you to walk, and to refrain from extended standing and strenuous activities for a period of time.
Patients who undergo the Closure procedure typically resume normal activities within a day.
The VNUS® Closure Procedure — A Treatment That Works
Clinical results indicate that the Closure procedure can be effective at closing the vein and significantly reducing patient symptoms.
(Note:These results were obtained using VNUS Closure and VNUS ClosurePlus; RF products with expandable extrodes)
At two years following treatment, patients who had undergone the Closure procedure reported superior quality of life compared to vein stripping patients.1
The Closure procedure has proven to be highly effective, with 87% of veins treated remaining closed at 5 years. 2 Results also demonstrate long-term relief of symptoms.2
Patient Symptoms Reported at Follow-up2
Clinical results indicate that the Closure procedure can be effective at closing the vein and significantly reducing patient symptoms.
(Note:These results were obtained using VNUS Closure and VNUS ClosurePlus; RF products with expandable extrodes)
At two years following treatment, patients who had undergone the Closure procedure reported superior quality of life compared to vein stripping patients.1
The Closure procedure has proven to be highly effective, with 87% of veins treated remaining closed at 5 years. 2 Results also demonstrate long-term relief of symptoms.2
Patient Symptoms Reported at Follow-up2
Percent of Legs without Varicose Veins at Follow-up
The Closure procedure is shown to be effective as vein stripping in delaying the reappearance of varicose veins.
| Treatment | 1 Year | 2 Years |
| Closure6 | 90% | 87% |
| Vein Stripping7 | 86% | 75% |
| Ligation7 | 86% | 57% |
As leaders the field of vein disease treatment, we are proud to offer our patients the latest in treatment technology.
Our facility is proud to announce the availability of the VNUS ClosureFASTTM catheter.
The new generation VNUS ClosureFAST catheter was introduced and received FDA clearance in August 2006 and is a culmination of approximately four years of research and development. The ClosureFAST catheter is designed to significantly reduce procedure time and enhance ease-of-use for the physician. Like the original VNUS Closure catheter, the ClosureFAST catheter uses RF energy and VNUS RF generators to deliver controlled energy and monitor treatment temperature for the purpose of closing diseased veins. The Closure procedure using the ClosureFAST catheter minimizes the post-procedure pain and bruising commonly associated with the competitive endovenous laser treatment.
1 Lurie F, Creton D, Eklof B, Kabnick LS, Kistner RL, Pichot O, et al. Prospective randomized study of endovenous radiofrequency obliteration (Closure) versus ligation and stripping in a selected patient population (EVOLVES study). J Vasc Surg 2003;38:207-14.
2 Merchant RF, et al. J Vasc Surg 2005; 42: 502-9
3 Stötter L. Schaaf I, Fendl R, Bockelbrink A. Randomized Study to Compare the Closure Procedure, Invagination Stripping and Cryo Stripping for Treatment of the Greater Saphenous Vein. Abstract submitted to German Society for Phlebology for presentation Sept. 2003.
4 Rautio T, Ohinmaa A, Perälä J, Ohtonen P, Heikkinen T, Wiik H, et al. Endovenous obliteration versus conventional stripping operation in the treatment of primary varicose veins: A randomized controlled trial with comparison of costs. J Vasc Surg 2002;35:958-65.
5 Photos Courtesy of Michael A. Vasquez, MD.
6 Merchant RF, DePalma RG, Kabnick LS. Endovascular Obliteration of Saphenous Reflux: A Multicenter Study. J Vasc Surg 2002;35:1190-6.
7 Jones L et al. Neovascularisation is the Principal Cause of Varicose Vein Recurrence: Results of a Randomized Trial Of Stripping The Long Saphenous Vein. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 1996;12:442-445
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Venous Disease
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: The Closure® procedure