NEWS
RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bobbie Boyd, Director of Public Relations
& Community Outreach
Advanced Cardiac Specialists
Cell Phone: (602) 570-7069 E-mail: bobbie.boyd@acs-im.com
ALTERNATIVE TO VEIN STRIPPING FOR
VARICOSE VEIN SUFFERERS
Procedure to Treat Leaky Leg Valves Now
Available in East Valley
Apache
Junction/Gilbert, Arizona (December 15, 2006) – Nearly twenty-five million
Americans suffer from vein disease, a progressive condition that often results
in varicose veins. The leading cause is
superficial venous reflux, leaky valves in the great saphenous vein running
from the groin to the ankle in each leg.
Because valves cannot be repaired, the only alternative is to re-route
blood flow through healthy veins.
Traditional treatment options include vein stripping whereby the vein,
with the faulty valve, is stripped or removed from the leg. Now there is a minimally invasive alternative,
the VNUS Closure® procedure.
The
VNUS Closure® procedure was developed to provide the benefits of
stripping without the associated drawbacks of invasive surgery, general
anesthesia, post-operative pain, bruising, and prolonged recovery. The outpatient Closure procedure involves making
a small needle puncture near the knee and inserting a Closure catheter into the
saphenous vein. The catheter is
positioned near the top of the leg, energized with a radiofrequency generator
and slowly withdrawn, sealing the vein shut.
Swelling, bruising and pain are virtually eliminated and most patients
can return to normal activity in a day or two.
Blood flow is immediately diverted to healthy veins with good
valves. In addition, cosmetic issues
are easier to address. The procedure
takes approximately 45 – 60 minutes, with additional time allotted for pre- and
post-treatment procedures. The closed
vein becomes fibrous tissue after treatment.
Over time, the vein will gradually incorporate into surrounding tissue.
The
Closure procedure has been the subject of numerous studies and journal
articles. The Journal of Vascular Surgery, August 2003, featured the third
randomized trial comparing recovery rates and quality of life between patients
treated with conventional varicose vein stripping surgery and the Closure
procedure. The Closure procedure
resulted in less post-operative recuperation time, faster return to work and
normal activities as well as less post-operative pain and limitation of
physical activity. Most patients return
to normal activities immediately with recommended regular walking and
restraining from very strenuous activities for a few weeks. Most patients notice an improvement in their
symptoms within one to two weeks.
Published data suggests that two years after treatment, 90% of the
treated veins remain closed and free from reflux.
If
functioning properly, vein valves in the leg help direct the flow of
oxygen-depleted blood towards the heart (against gravity), preventing the blood
from flowing backwards away from the heart.
Sometimes, these valves malfunction.
Malfunction may be due to genetics, pregnancy, prolonged standing,
excess weight, inadequate exercise, hormonal changes at menopause, previous
vein diseases such as thrombophlebitis (inflammation of a vein as a blood clot
forms), or a damaged saphenous vein. When the vein valves deteriorate, blood leaks backwards rather
than towards the heart. This causes
increased pressure in the leg veins, frequently resulting in leg pain, swelling,
fatigue, varicose veins and even skin ulcerations. There can be a dramatic impact on lifestyle, especially for
people in professions requiring a lot of standing. Varicose veins may ache.
Feet and ankles may swell at day end, especially in hot weather. The veins can become sore and inflamed,
causing redness of the surrounding skin.
Patients may develop skin ulcerations.
There
are many options for treating varicose veins, depending on the severity. Lifestyle changes, including diet and
exercise, along with wearing compression/support hose may relieve symptoms in
mild cases; but will not provide a cure.
Visible, surface varicose veins may be removed through sclerotherapy or
phlebectomy. Sclerotherapy involves an
injection of medication into a vein causing it to close up. Phlebectomy involves removing varicose
veins, with a variety of instruments, through a series of very small punctures
or incisions.
Vein
stripping involves an incision, made in the groin area. The vein is surgically tied off at the top,
then an instrument resembling a thin rod with a bulbous end is inserted into
the saphenous vein and passed through to the upper calf. The second incision is made in the upper
calf. The stripping device is then
secured to the vein, which is removed through a second incision. This typically causes significant bruising
and can create post-operative pain, nerve damage and poor short-term cosmetic
outcomes. Recovery lasts weeks. The VNUS Closure® procedure provides an alternative with superior results.
Robert M. Siegel, M.D., Medical Director and Chief of Interventional Cardiology, and Marc L. Eckhauser, M.D. and L. Philipp Wall, M.D., Vascular Surgeons, at Advanced Cardiac Specialists, recently performed this procedure successfully on a series of patients. The Closure procedure is available through Advanced Cardiac Specialists’ Advanced Vein & Vascular Institute. Consultation with a physician, in conjunction with a complete ultrasound examination, is the best step to determine whether the Closure procedure is appropriate. Insurance covers the procedure based on medical necessity. Additional information is available by calling (480) 926-6990. [Closure® & VNUS® are registered trademarks of VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc.]