4050 Innslake Dr. #310, Glen Allen, Va 804 346 8700
Dear Interested Physicians:
It is my pleasure to announce the opening of the new West End Vein Care, offering the VNUS Closure® procedure, in addition to other treatment modalities for the comprehensive management of vein disease. I will continue to operate Innsbrook Plastic Surgery and our accredited office surgery center to provide convenience and privacy for our patients. Inspired by my personal struggle with discomfort and leg pain for 20 years, I have been successfully treated and decided to offer this option to the Richmond community. An estimated 25 million people in the United States have varicose veins. Many physicians and patients are surprised to learn that vein care is covered by most insurance plans, including the initial evaluation. Varicose veins are often mistakenly thought to be only a cosmetic condition when, in fact, they are usually a symptom of a more serious condition, venous reflux disease.This is a condition that symptomatically and progressively damages the valves of the saphenous vein, while also cosmetically disfiguring the leg. Recent advances in minimally invasive endovenous radio frequency ablation have yet to be widely known to physicians and the general public. It is also not widely known that VNUS Closure is an insurance covered treatment. We no longer have to tell patients to do their best, wear their compression hose and live with the pain because Vein Stripping is not well accepted by patients and physicians alike. Also we know that conservative treatment with stockings fails to definitively address the underlying disease state.Key facts to consider are:
Compression stockings only temporarily alleviate the symptoms of venous reflux
Varicose veins are usually a symptom of an underlying, treatable saphenous vein reflux disease
Venous disease is progressive in nature and may worsen if left untreated
The VNUS Closure procedure treats venous reflux in the saphenous vein by ablating the vein using radiofrequency energy. This is a minimally-invasive office procedure which treats saphenous incompetence and allows fast and mild recovery. If indicated I advise patients to return for a thorough duplex scan and evaluation. I will provide treatment recommendations based upon the results of the duplex. Thank you in advance for considering West End Vein Care for your patients requiring treatment. I am happy to contact you after the evaluation to discuss the recommended treatment plan. Working together, we can provide your patients who suffer from varicose veins and the symptoms of underlying venous reflux disease with patient-friendly and clinically proven solutions. Sincerely, Louise Ferland, MD, FRCSC
CONCLUSIONS: RF thermal ablation was significantly superior to EVL as measured by a comprehensive array of postprocedural recovery and QOL parameters in a randomized prospective comparison between these two thermal ablation modalities for closure of the GSV.
Comparison of the VNUS Closure Technique and the Laser Ablation Technique
Endovenous Laser (EVL)
Endovenous laser ablation (EVL) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that uses laser heat to treat varicose veins. Laser energy is delivered to the inside of the great saphenous vein via an optical fiber that is inserted into the vein. When the laser is fired, it emits thermal energy at over 700 degrees Centigrade, perforating and destroying the vein walls and boiling the blood inside the vessel. The laser is repeatedly or continuously fired as the laser fiber is gradually withdrawn along the course of the vein, until the entire vessel is sealed by thermal damage and blood clotting.
Clinical data from one-year and two-year follow-up studies has shown EVL to be over 90% effective in keeping veins sealed, meaning less than one in ten patients experienced a recurrence of their VENOUS REFLUX.
Studies indicate that the laser procedure is frequently uncomfortable for patients. In September 2003, the Journal of Vascular Surgery reported that two-thirds of EVL patients had post-operative pain, sometimes lasting several weeks, and more than half used prescription pain medication. Also, the laser energy frequently perforates the vein walls, forcing blood into the surrounding tissues and causing bruising and discoloration that can last weeks. Symptoms of pain and bruising are significantly higher with laser than with the radiofrequency-based VNUS CLOSURE procedure, as confirmed by an independent comparative study.1
Physicians performing EVL have experienced an additional drawback to the technique – the absence of technical feedback during the procedure. Unlike the VNUS®ClosureFAST® catheter, EVL devices do not provide the real-time data on variations in vein size or blood volume that would allow the physician to adjust how the laser energy is delivered or how fast the optical fiber is withdrawn. The lack of guidance can result in vein wall perforations or large blood clots.
1. Almeida et al. Recovery Trial. Data on File.
Innsbrook Plastic Surgery and West End Vein Care 4050 Innslake Drive, Suite 310 Richmond (Glen Allen), VA 23070 804 346 8700
