VNUS Closure® Procedure

If you experience discomfort, swelling and varicose veins in your legs, you may be suffering from superficial venous reflux disease. Varicose veins are extremely common - a study conducted in London of people aged between 35 and 70 concluded that the prevalence of varicose veins in men and women was 17% and 31% respectively.
 
Traditionally, if you were diagnosed with venous reflux, you would need to undergo varicose vein stripping surgery. Now, you can be treated with the VNUS Closure® Procedure - a minimally invasive vascular closure alternative to painful vein stripping surgery – available at the Cadogan Clinic.

Vascular Closure Video

This is video footage about vascular closure using the latest VNUS Closure® FAST radiofrequency catheter to treat varicose veins:

Benefits of VNUS Closure® Procedure:

• Minimally invasive treatment.
• Performed under local anaesthetic.
• Less pain and tenderness when compared to traditional vein stripping.
• An approved procedure with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
• Faster return to normal activities.
• Since 1999 over 350,000 procedures have been carried out worldwide and Cadogan Clinic is a leading VNUS Closure® Procedure centre in London.

VNUS Closure® Procedure – What Patients Say

I feel great. I can do things without my legs getting tired. I could have went right from here to work. - Darlene B.

I came in on Friday, and by Sunday, I was standing at my kitchen sink, and I could feel the difference in the leg that had had the VNUS closure FAST procedure and the leg that had not. - Audra T.

Exponentially….I have no more pain….there’s no pain in my legs, I have no problem walking, the density, the heaviness about it is gone…and my energy level is simply through the roof… I don’t care about wearing a short skirt or anything that has to do with vanity purposes, other than I am so thankful that I have my health back. - Christine M.

VNUS Closure® Procedure Questions and Answers

We’ve included the answers to the most frequently asked questions about VNUS Closure® Procedure to help you find out more about the revolutionary new procedure – available now at Cadogan Clinic.

• What is the VNUS Closure® Procedure?
• What Happens During VNUS Closure® FAST Surgery?
• What Happens After the VNUS Closure® Procedure?

What is the VNUS Closure® Procedure?

Traditional methods of dealing with varicose veins involved pain and bruising of the affected area caused by stripping the vein from the thigh. VNUS Closure® FAST is a new technique that overcomes the shortcomings of previous, more uncomfortable methods of dealing with varicose veins. The VNUS Closure® procedure involves a technique called ‘radio frequency ablation’.

The vascular closure procedure can be performed under local anaesthetic on a day case basis. With ultrasound, the surgeon will position the VNUS Closure® catheter into the damaged vein through a small opening in the skin. The tiny catheter powered by radio frequency (RF) energy delivers heat to the vein wall. As the thermal energy is delivered, the vein wall shrinks and the vein is sealed closed. Once the damaged vein is closed, blood is re-routed to other healthy veins.

Following the procedure, a simple dressing is placed over the insertion site and a compression stocking will need to be worn for 7-10 days. Most patients who undergo the VNUS Closure® FAST procedure typically resume normal activities within a day.

Watch this video on the VNUS Closure® FAST procedure for more information.

What Happens After the VNUS Closure® Procedure?

Generally, your consultant will instruct you to walk regularly for several days after the vascular closure procedure and return within 72 hours for an ultrasound examination. They may prescribe compression stockings to be worn for several days or weeks after the VNUS Closure® FAST procedure, with the goal of enhancing patient comfort in the initial days after treatment.

VNUS Closure® Procedure Treatments

During the 45 to 60 minute VNUS Closure® FAST surgery, the general steps the consultant will carry out include:

• Finding the location of the varicose vein using non-invasive ultrasound imaging.
• Accessing the vein with a catheter and injecting dilute anaesthetic fluid into the area surrounding the vein.
• Numbing the leg.
• Infusing saline into the vein to preferentially heat the vein wall, rather than surrounding tissue or the blood.
• Heating the vein to shrink it while gradually withdrawing the catheter.
• Surveying the area with ultrasound imaging to confirm the closing of the vein.

VNUS Closure® Procedure Consultants at the Cadogan Clinic

Consultant vascular surgeon, Mr. Ian Franklin is now available to see patients at the Cadogan Clinic for this treatment. If you would like to arrange a consultation, please contact Mr. Franklin’s Patient Advisor at the Cadogan Clinic, Rosa Guthrie on 020 7901 8500 or email: Rosa.Guthrie@cadoganclinic.com.

Other consultants able to carry out the VNUS Closure® Procedure at the Cadogan Clinic include:

• Mr. John Scurr

For more information about VNUS Closure® Procedure (varicose vein) surgery in London, or to book a consultation, please call 020 7901 8500 or fill in the form on this website and we will respond to you by email or phone.

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