Dr Sanjay Gheyi MBBS, MS, FRCS, FP Cert, BCAAM

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EVLT ® for varicose veins

Endovenous laser therapy is a quick, minimally invasive alternative to traditional vein stripping. Endovenous laser therapy is a relatively new outpatient treatment that can be performed under local anaesthesia in less than an hour.

Varicose veins occur when the vein is not functioning properly to return blood from the lower leg to the heart. Each vein has a series of valves that open to allow the flow of blood to the heart, and close to prevent backflow (otherwise known as “reflux”) of blood back into the foot. The walls and valves of veins are thin and elastic, and can stretch due to a variety of conditions including pregnancy, heredity, injuries, inflammation and age.

Approximately half of the population has some form of venous disease, and varicose veins affect about one out of two people age 50 and older, and 15-25% of all adults.

Previously, treatment of painful, swollen varicose veins required a surgical procedure called vein stripping, where the vein was completely removed from the leg.
More recently, endovenous laser therapy has been developed. Bulging varicose veins in the lower leg are usually caused by a faulty valve located higher in the leg that can’t be seen at the surface. The endovenous laser therapy treats the source of the problem, which then causes the varicose vein in the lower leg to shrink and disappear.

Endovenous laser therapy involves insertion of an ultrasound-guided laser fibre directly into the incompetent great or short saphenous vein. Laser energy heats the vein from within, causing it to shrink, collapse and seal shut. Patients experience minimal discomfort, and they can return to normal activities the same day. Because there are many veins in the leg, the blood that would have flowed through the closed vein simply flows through other healthy veins after the laser therapy.

A duplex doppler ultrasound examination is performed to assess suitability for this procedure. It may not be performed if there is active or past DVT, problems with deep veins or other significant medical conditions. All varicose veins may not be suitable for this procedure. Alternative options include surgery or sclerotherapy.

Coltishall Clinic also offers sclerotherapy and lasers to treat leftover spider veins.

Click here for Varicose Vein Services

© Dr Sanjay Gheyi