Vein Ablation With Venefit^TM

Performed on an outpatient basis, the Venefit™ procedure closes the diseased vein by heating it from the inside. The physician uses ultrasound to position a catheter through a small opening in the skin and into the affected vein. The tiny catheter heats the vein wall using radio frequency (RF) thermal energy. The heat shrinks the vein wall and seals it closed. Once the diseased vein is closed, blood is re-routed to other healthy veins. After the procedure, the insertion site is covered with a bandage.

Additional compression may be provided to aid healing. Venefit™ delivers the following positive outcomes:

• Relief of symptoms of pain, swelling, leg heaviness and fatigue
• Noticeable cosmetic improvement after just one week
• Rapid recovery—most patients are walking immediately after the procedure, and back to their routine within 24 hours

Not everyone is a candidate for Venefit™. It is necessary to perform an ultrasound scan of the leg to diagnose superficial venous reflux. The Venefit™ procedure can be performed in the physician’s office, on an outpatient basis. Sometimes this procedure is combined with a minor surgical procedure to remove clusters of larger varicosities through small (½ cm) incisions or tie off other veins (ligation). In this case, the surgery is typically performed in an outpatient surgery center under a light general anesthetic. Most often, we treat one leg at a time. Surgery takes 20 to 90 minutes, depending on the number of large varicosities being treated.