Endovenous ablation is a newer method of treating venous diseases that uses energy to cauterize and close diseased veins. This procedure is more commonly used to seal the long Saphenous vein in the thigh or the short Saphenous vein behind the calf that feeds the varicosities. Ablation techniques are comparatively less painful with faster recovery than traditional surgeries where veins are tied and stripped. The faulty veins are removed safely without a wound, leaving no scar.
Endovenous ablation is done under Anaesthesia using energy from Laser or Radio Frequency that creates intense local heat. The technique involves a catheter being passed through the vein from the ankle to the knee and disconnecting the vein from the circulatory system with the help of precise Ultrasound scanning. The energy in contact with the walls of incompetent veins disfigures the cells of the walls and contracts them as dead tissue which late gets naturally absorbed by the system. The energy when applied down the length of the diseased vein, contracts the whole vein not allowing blood to flow through it.
The main goals of Endovenous Ablation are to reduce symptoms and control risks of the severity of venous diseases such as blood clots. The procedure is carried out after individualized patient evaluation and circumstantial requirements. This procedure allows to close of the problem vein successfully but leaves it in place thus minimizing bleeding and bruising. Veins shut off through Endo Venous ablation remain closed with barely any chances of reopening again.
The added advantage is that there is less pain, faster healing, and a return to work with almost invisible cosmetic changes. More so, this procedure can be performed by a Vascular Surgeon as an outpatient procedure with no necessity for hospital admission and general Anaesthesia. A local Anesthesia injected into the skin over the diseased vein is sufficient to carry out the 30 to 40 minutes procedure in a treatment room. Hence, this procedure has recently taken the place of the conventional technique of Vein stripping.