Endovenous Treatment
This involves cannulating the dilated vein (long saphenous or short saphenous) under ultrasound guidance.
Local anaesthetic is used for the small skin puncture and is infiltrated in the superficial tissues around the length of the vein.
A catheter is passed up the length of the the vein to just distal to the saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction.
The catheter causes injury to the vein wall - either by heat or laser. This causes fibrosis and occlusion of the vein and subsequent ablation / disappearance of the vein.
Complications: Skin burns, paraesthesiae (0-10%), phlebitis (5%), deep vein thrombosis (1%).
