Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) is a simple, non-surgical procedure performed right in the office.
“It’s a quick and simple way to alleviate varicose veins,” said radiologist Anthony Adelson, M.D., who is also the section head of interventional radiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“Most patients are walking within minutes after the procedure and they are back to work the next day,” Dr. Adelson said.
Traditionally varicose veins are eliminated by a surgical procedure while the patient is under anesthesia or fluids are injected into the problem veins causing them to collapse. But these methods don’t always correct the problem, Dr. Adelson said.
“The body will find another passage in which to route the blood by sending it to other veins that connect to this larger vein, thus the patient is often coming back to be retreated,” he said.
With the EVLT an ultrasound scan of the leg is used to locate the source of the problem. Once identified the patient is scheduled for the procedure, during which he or she is given Valium to help them relax. A small tube is then inserted into the affected vein and a laser is used to collapse the vein from the inside. The entire procedure takes an hour, Dr. Adelson said.
Veins that become varicose are located in the fatty tissue of the leg, he said, and play an insignificant role overall, so collapsing them doesn’t affect the leg.
However, more serious problems can arise if varicose veins are left untreated.
“Some people become debilitated by varicose veins and others develop skin ulcers,” Dr. Adelson said.
More than 40 percent of women and 25 percent of men suffer from varicose veins.