Venous Ablation

Venous Ablation technique is used in the treatment of venous reflex in the legs.

What is venous reflux?
Venous stasis is a common condition in which the flow of blood from the legs to the heart is abnormal.

We often assume that the heart pumps blood out to the legs and then pumps it back. That's only half right. Actually, the heart only pumps the blood out. Leg muscles pump it back. Every time a leg muscle tightens (called contraction), it squeezes the leg veins flat. Blood is pushed through the veins like toothpaste being squeezed from a tube. When everything is working normally, a series of one-way gates (called valves) makes sure that the blood can only move one direction: toward the heart. However, when the valves are damaged, the "muscle pump" doesn't work. This condition is called reflux and most often involves a large leg vein called the saphenous vein. When saphenous reflux is present, blood simply pools in the legs, causing everything from unsightly varicose veins to severe pain and ulceration of the skin.

What is venous ablation?
Venous ablation eliminates the abnormal, refluxing vein by sealing it closed. The vein does not actually have to be removed from your body, as in vein stripping.

How is venous ablation done?
Through a tiny incision at the knee (the size of a pencil point), a small tube is placed into the saphenous vein. Then, a laser or radiofrequency fiber is passed through the tube into the vein. Once in place, the fiber is activated, delivering very localized heat to the vein wall. In response, the vein closes down and becomes permanently blocked.