There are several options to treat venous disease. For venous insufficiency, treatments include radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, or venaseal (glue to seal the vein). The treatment option that may be recommended for one patient does not always work for another. Ultrasound results will help guide treatment options to choose the right surgery for each patient.

Radiofrequency ablation is minimally invasive. This is performed in the office by accessing the vein on the middle side of the leg and running a catheter to the upper thigh. The lower extremity is then numbed around the vein to ensure there is minimal pain during the procedure. If any pain is experienced, the provider is notified and more numbing is injected. This should be painless following the numbing of the leg.

Typically, the procedure takes less than 30 minutes to perform. Patients must keep a compression wrap on their leg for 48-72 hours but may resume regular activities immediately following the treatment. It should be noted, however, that for insurance to cover this procedure, a trial of 90 days of compression stockings is typically required.

Laser ablation is performed in a similar manner using laser rather than radiofrequency. At Renal and Vascular Care of Florida, we perform radiofrequency ablation.

Venaseal also works in a similar manner, however, instead of a catheter providing the treatment, glue is injected into the vein to seal the vein. This can be a limited option in large veins but can work well if a vein is close to the skin surface.’

Venous Stripping, while an older modality for treating venous disease, still has its place. Some patients are not a good candidate for this treatment.