What Endovenous Laser Therapy (EVLT) Is
EVLT - endovenous laser therapy - is a safe and simple varicose vein treatment.
The laser treats the underlying abnormal vein which is causing the
varicose veins without surgery. RIA
Endovascular offers this non-surgical treatment in the South Denver Metro area of Colorado.
With EVLT, after numbing the leg, a guiding sheath is placed from the calf
or thigh through the saphenous vein. A laser tip extends just beyond the sheath
but not into the deep venous system. Numbing fluid is then placed around the vein
and the laser and the laser is then activated. As the laser is slowly pulled back
through the vein, heat is applied to the vein wall, causing the vein to permanently
close and disappear. The body then reroutes the blood to healthier veins. No other
tissue in the leg is affected.
Patient satisfaction with endovenous laser therapy is high. A prominent study
published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology showed better
than a 93% success rate after two years. These results are superior to surgical
methods for treating varicose veins, with lower rates of complication and the avoidance
of general anesthesia.
After having endovenous laser therapy, you may still have varicose veins but they
will be smaller. Laser does not treat the surface tiny spider veins. However,
sclerotherapy (injections of a mild medicine
that closes these superficial veins) can be used to treat these.