Do you suffer from unattractive, painful and swollen legs?
Varicose veins are a frequently occurring condition with up to 40% of women and 20% of men likely to suffer from symptoms such as fatigue, pain and swelling of the lower limbs. Soft tissue breakdown leading to ulceration can result if left untreated.
If you have unattractive, enlarged blue or purple veins on the thigh or calf, this indicates the symptoms of venous disease. These are known as varicose veins.
You may also suffer from cosmetically unappealing spider veins. These too can cause concern as you may fee! compromised in your attractiveness and quality of life owing to the existence of these highly visible, small veins on your legs.
What are varicose veins?
The medical term for varicose veins is varices or venous insufficiency. The key function of the venous system is to transport deoxygenated blood from the various organs & parts of the body back to the heart. In healthy veins, valves located within the veins prevent the venous blood from returning back down the leg. When these valves no longer function correctly the vein is termed 'incompetent' and venous blood collects in the veins, causing them to enlarge.
The result is visible 'varicose veins' that are the cause of the pain, swelling & discomfort you may feel in your lower limbs.
This is an indication of malfunction of the venous system and should be investigated by a vascular specialist to help prevent potentially more serious problems arising later.
What are the Standard Methods of Treatment?
Besides compression therapy, the most common form of treatment of varicose veins is the surgical removal of the incompetent vein, known as 'stripping'. This is an operating theatre procedure, performed under general anaesthetic requires a 1-2 day hospital stay and a 3 week convalescence period.
Smaller varices can be treated using sclero-therapy, however discolouration of the skin & allergic reactions are a relatively common side effect of this treatment.
WhyELVeS™?
ELVeS™ (Endo Laser Vein System) is s gentle and quick solution to any veir related problems. This versatile systerr enables simple, effective treatment of a range of varices using the latest lasei technology. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis undei local anaesthetic and has the following advantages:
Minimal discomfort
Short treatment time
Excellent aesthetic results
A rapid return to normal activities
Which varices can be treated with the laser?
In general,all - from the principal veins ta branch veins and down to the srnalleii spider veins can be treated with the laser; In the case of large varicose veins, the laser optical fibre is inserted into the vein and the vein is closed from the inside by the thermal laser energy. The laser fibre enters the leg through a small cannula and so the procedure leaves no scar. To treat spider veins, the laser energy is deli-vered from the outside, penetrating through the skin to close the small blood vessels.
After treatment, blood no longer flows through the enlarged veins and the pooling & of venous blood no longer occurs. The treated leg appears smooth and glowing again. Ready to be shown!
Quick treatment with minimal discomfort
Laser energy is a gentle, moderate and yet effective method of treatment. Small varices or spider veins can be easily treated in the shortest time - the procedure normally takes only a few minutes. Prior to treatment, the skin is cooled and the procedure is generelly pain-free.
The eradication of the principal veins that cause the visible varicose veins can be carried out under local anaesthetic, with a total procedure time of around 45 minutes. In some cases after the procedure, the patient may experience a slight 'pulling' feeling long the treated vein. This is all part of the natural healing process.
Normal activities can be resumed shortly after ELVeS™ treatment, with the exception of vigorous exercise.
Excellent aesthetic and cosmetic results
ELVeS™ treatment is well tolerated by patients and shows impressive and convincing cosmetic results. As the procedure is minimally invasive, it leaves no scarring. Long term side effects such as skin discolouration or pigmentary changes have not been observed.
