Varicose Veins —Endovenous Laser Therapy

What is EVLA?  
EVLA is a new method of treating varicose veins without surgery. Instead of tying and removing the abnormal veins, they are heated by a laser. The heat seal the walls of the veins and the body then naturally absorbs the dead tissue and the abnormal veins are destroyed. It can be carried out in a simple treatment room rather than an operating theatre.


Are my veins suitable for EVLA?
Almost all patients with varicose veins are suitable for EVLA. Those few who are not suitable (usually those with small recurrent veins after previous surgery) can usually be managed with just foam sclerotherapy.


What does the procedure involve?
An ultrasound scan is performed and the veins to be treated are marked with a pen. You lie on a couch and your leg is cleaned and covered with drapes. Depending on which veins are to be treated, you may be on your back or your front. All these steps are guided by ultrasound scanning.
Endovenous means inside the vein, so the next thing the doctor has to do is to get inside your vein. A small amount of local anaesthetic is injected into the skin over the vein and a needle inserted into it. A wire is passed through the needle and up the vein. The needle is removed and a catheter (thin plastic tubing) is passed over the wire, up the vein and the wire removed.
A laser fibre is passed up the catheter so its tip lies at the highest point to be heated (usually your groin crease).   A large quantity of local anaesthetic solution is then injected around the vein through multiple tiny needle pricks. All staff and the patient put on laser safety specs as a precaution.   The laser is then fired up and pulled down the vein over about 5 minutes. You will hear a warning buzzer ringing and may smell or taste burning but won’t feel any pain.   If you’re having both legs treated the process is repeated on the other leg. The laser and catheter are removed and the needle puncture covered with a small dressing.
The treatment takes about 20-30 minutes per leg.   You may also have some foam sclerotherapy or some avulsions undertaken and a compression stocking is then put on.
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donna@gigaalaser.com