Endovenous laser treatment for primary varicose veins

Abstract

Venous insufficiency of the lower extremities is a highly prevalent condition. Successful treatment of superficial venous insufficiency will most often necessitate treatment of the saphenofemoral junction incompetence with correction of saphenous vein reflux. In the majority of patients it concerns a reflux of the greater saphenous vein. The standard procedure consists of ligation and stripping of the greater saphenous vein combined with with additional phlebectomies or ligation of insufficient perforant veins if necessary. Although the standard procedure is widely known and accepted, the postoperative morbidity and postoperative limitations of activity are high. In this context minimally invasive percutaneous endovenous techniques were developed to improve the patients comfort and faster resumption of work. Among these, endovenous laser ablation of the greater saphenous vein is a relatively new procedure. Percutaneous introduction of a laser fiber into the incompetent vein and ablation with pulsed laser energy is far less invasive than stripping.