Venus closure a less invasive treatment of varicose veins

March 30, 8:58 PMColumbia Health Care ExaminerJan Louthain

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Between 25-40 million Americans, mostly women, suffer from varicose veins. Venus closure is becoming a popular procedure here in South Carolina for the treatment of varicose veins in the legs that are associated with venux reflux disease. Perhaps it's because active women here in the South wear shorts for a larger part of the year and are not only concerned about the unsightly cosmetic appearance of varicose veins, but may also suffer from other symptoms of the disease which include leg pain, swelling, leg heaviness, fatigue and skin ulcer.

Venus reflux disease occurs when vein valves become damaged and aren't able to regulate blood flow. If you have venus reflux disease and have your varicose veins removed through more traditional methods such as sclerotherapy or laser treatment, the varicose veins return. However, according to Dr. Donald Balder, a Vascular/Endovascular Specialist at Advanced Surgical Associates in Conway, SC, the greatest benefit of having the venus closure procedure is that the varicose veins will not return after they're removed, and the leg pain and other symptoms associated with venus reflux disease begin to dissipate quickly.

How do you know if you have venus reflux disease? This is determined by ultrasound. If you're diagnosed with the disease, the venus closure procedure is recommended; if not, you may be offered other treatment options such as sclerotherapy to improve the cosmetic appearance of the veins. Since venus reflux is categorized as a disease, some insurance policies will pay for the venus closure procedure which adds to its attraction.

The venus closure procedure itself is relatively painless and minimally invasive, much less intrusive that vein stripping where the vein is actually removed. The venus closure is done on an outpatient basis, sometimes right in the physician's office under light sedation and with a local anesthetic. The physician inserts a catheter into the diseased vein through a very small incision. The catheter is then threaded up the vessel toward the groin area and radio frequency waves are used in short intervals to heat and shrink the vein. The physician gradually works his way down the vein repeating the process until the whole length of the vein is sealed. The body reacts by re-routing blood flow through healthier veins and the treated vein becomes scar tissue which is eventually absorbed by the body. Some patients have immediately reported they have less leg pain as they walk out of the doctor's office.

Recuperation time is short, only a couple of days, and the patient is encouraged to walk often. Compression hose must be worn for several days, but the patient is able to engage in normal activities after a day or so.

The most dramatic difference in appearance is the shrinkage of the large, ropey varicose veins, although the spider veins may still pose a cosmetic problem. After the a few weeks, the physician may recommend sclerotherapy to remove these.

To locate a vein specialist near you who performs the venus closure procedure, visit: http://www.vnus.com/locate-vein-specialist/index.aspx or contact Dr. Balder's office at 843-347-3900 for a referral.