Non-Surgical Laser Procedure for Varicose Veins
For years, people who suffer from varicose veins have been wishing those words were true. Now, thanks to advances in the use of medical lasers, they are. The VenaCureä Laser Vein Treatment, a new procedure offered by St. Joseph's Hospital, is proven to get excellent results without the pain and lengthy recovery of surgical "vein stripping."
If you've been living with the pain and self-consciousness of varicose veins, these Questions and Answers offer new hope about the treatment.
Question: How is a laser procedure different from surgery?
Answer: Surgery involved considerable preparation, general anesthesia, pain in the affected areas, and a lengthy recovery period. The medical laser technology in VenaCureä eliminates all of that.
First, it's "minimally invasive," meaning the entry point through which your physician gets the laser fiber to the target area is extremely small, not even requiring stitches.
Second, there is really no "recovery" to speak of. In fact, you'll be up and walking as soon as it's over, able to return to full normal activity.
Third, the risk of infection is extremely low.
Fourth, it involves minimal discomfort.
Question: Exactly how does a laser treat varicose veins?
Answer: VenaCure fixes this problem at the source by delivering just the right wavelength of laser energy to just the right tissue, causing the incompetent vein to close while your body automatically routes the blood to other healthy veins.
Question: What is the actual procedure like?
Answer: It takes about 45 minutes right here in St. Joseph's Department of Medical Imaging and no general anesthesia is required, just a local anesthetic. Our physician then inserts a thin laser fiber into the vein through a sheath and the laser light is emitted through the fiber. While you might fee some unfamiliar sensation, it is not painful.
Question: I've heard about lasers being used in medicine but I'm not sure how they work. Are they safe?
Answer: Simply put, a laser is a highly concentrated beam of light. Medical lasers work by delivering this light energy to the targeted tissue with extreme precision so as not to affect the surrounding tissue. And they've proven their safety and effectiveness through years of use in all kinds of medical procedures, from eye surgery to dermatology. In the hands of a skilled physician, lasers offer far less risk and complications than conventional surgery.
