What is endovenous ablation?

As an alternative to surgical stripping most patients with diseased long or short saphenous veins can be managed these days with a procedure called endovenous treatment. Endovenous treatment uses heat which closes and shrinks the varicose vein causing scar tissue to seal off the vein. A probe is placed into the vein under ultrasound guidance and activated to shut the vein down. The vein is effectively destroyed and as it heals the vein disappears and blood then flows through alternative healthy veins. This has the advantage over surgical stripping of being less invasive. This procedure is less painful than surgery and patients return to normal activity after a shorter period. A patient’s varicose veins may also need to be directly treated either with surgical removal through a small incision or alternatively injection sclerotherapy performed either at the same time as the endovenous treatment treatment or later.