Have the VNUS Closure, EVLT, and Foam Sclerotherapy Procedures Put an End to Vein Surgery?
During the last decade, two minimally invasive endovenous (meaning “from inside the vein”) vein treatment modalities; namely, the VNUS closure procedure and EVLT relying respectively on radiofrequency (RF) and laser probes, and duplex ultrasound imaging, gained such a strong popularity with patients and vein doctors that they almost totatally replaced surgical vein stripping and ligation, at least in the West and many other developed countries. A Los Angeles vein doctor says that during his long experience with varicose vein treatment, he encountered only a few cases where surgery was indicated. Although EVLT and the VNUS closure procedure may be used for cosmetic purposes, they are more commonly used to treat venous reflux (pooling of blood in the veins of lower extremities due to faulty vein valves) and help alleviate symptoms due to enlarged nonfunctional saphenous and perforator veins. The latter are short connecting veins located along the entire length of the legs. Leg symptoms c
