Whats the difference between vein stripping and vein ablation?
Vein stripping has been around since 1905, and has been the main procedure performed by surgeons whereby the major saphenous veins were removed by placing a device into the vein from the ankle/knee area up to the groin area. The vein is disconnected in the groin, secured to the device within the vein, and the device is pulled downward to the knee or ankle area. This is often done in the operating room under anesthesia, and the resulting bruising and pain is significantly more than the present day vein ablation. A laser fiber in used in the vein ablation, introducing it into the saphenous vein at the knee, upper calf area and positioning the tip at the groin level. Local or tumescent anesthesia is placed about the vein to be treated before sealing up the vein with the laser fiber which is slowly pulled down the entire vein from the groin to the knee area. All of this is performed in an office setting, and the patients are awake with moderate conscious sedation on board. The bruising and
