The laser technology applied to the treatment of varicose veins has the advantages of being fast, minimally invasive, painless, with a high success rate, leaving no scars, and especially the patient can go home the same day without having to stay in the hospital. .
Complicated case, the process time is twice as long as the normal case
On October 8, at MEDLATEC General Hospital, the hospital’s medical team collaborated with specialists to apply laser technology to treat a patient with varicose veins.
The patient is Ms. VTX (born in 1952, resident of Ngo Quyen District, Hai Phong City). About a week ago, Ms. X. came to MEDLATEC General Hospital for examination with symptoms of enlarged vessels in the legs, itching, and a lot of scratching…
Image of varicose veins of the lower extremities
Ms. X shared that in the past, after giving birth, her legs started to itch and her veins… her doctor recommended her to wear compression stockings, but she didn’t wear them because they were uncomfortable. Over time, her veins became larger.
Recently, the blood vessels are getting bigger and bigger, so the children and grandchildren took him to MEDLATEC General Hospital for examination.
Here, doctors performed vascular ultrasound, which is the most effective method of diagnosing varicose veins today. The ultrasound procedure was performed using the advanced VIVID S70N machine, allowing a detailed assessment of the size, path and abnormalities of the veins, as well as the degree of valve failure.
The laser machine with a wavelength of 1,470 nm is used to treat varicose veins at MEDLATEC
Based on the ultrasound results, Ms. X was diagnosed with level 3 varicose veins in both lower extremities, with multiple large varicose veins affecting her appearance. The doctor recommended that the patient undergo a radical intervention procedure.
Doctor Nguyen Tri Kien – Department of Diagnostic Imaging, MEDLATEC General Hospital said that in cases of level 3 varicose veins, if there is no intervention or minimal conservative intervention, the risk of progression to level 4 (with ulcers) is very high.
Observation on the skin of patient X’s leg before the intervention showed that there was an area of skin discoloration (dark, dull) due to the continuous lack of oxygen in the skin area. If the condition persists, the patient’s foot is at risk of ulceration.
After examination and consultation, the patient is assigned to undergo laser treatment. The patient is anesthetized and fully conscious, speaking normally during the procedure.
Although the case was particularly complicated, thanks to experience and support from modern technology, doctors successfully performed this procedure.
Sharing the case of patient X, Dr. Kien said that in normal patients, the saphenous vein runs in a straight line, the number of side branches are there but small in size and quantity. In particular, for patient X, the vein is dilated, the route is coiled, the number of side branches is large, the side branches are dilated larger than the main branches… These abnormal factors cause difficulties in the intervention process, the tube easily lost, leading to longer intervention time.
Considered a difficult case, the operation procedure on both extremities with a laser head is usually finished in 2 minutes, but Mrs. X’s case took 45 hours and 1 minute.
“Compared to previous varicose vein treatments, this was not the most difficult case, access was not the most difficult, and the patient’s level of stimulation was not high. However, this was still considered a difficult case, as needle and instrument insertions could not reach the saphenous vein root.
For a normal patient, the time from inserting the needle into the patient’s skin to bringing the instrument to the site that needs surgery is less than 5 minutes, in this case it took up to 25 minutes to reach the saphenous vein loop. The time to perform the operation on 2 limbs with a laser burner usually ends in 45 minutes, today’s procedure took 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Although the time is longer, the effect on the patient is completely absent, there is no increase in blood loss, no increase in pain, and the amount of anesthetic used in the patient remains unchanged.,” shared Dr. Kien.
Immediately after the procedure, the patient can sit and eat normally. Mrs. H. said she felt comfortable and painless. The doctors, staff and medical staff at the hospital were attentive, enthusiastic and kind in their advice. The facility was spacious, clean and modern, with quick procedures and no long waiting time.
Exclusive team of experts and doctors throughout the process in the case of Ms. X.
Sharing the reason for choosing MEDLATEC General Hospital as a place of treatment, Ms. X. said: “Previously, seeing my neighbor who had the same disease as me had to stay in the hospital for 7 days and after 2 months of abstinence at home, he still could not walk, I was worried and did not go for treatment. Recently, I went to the hospital for a check-up and was advised by a doctor at MEDLATEC about the high-frequency laser burning method, which is painless and has a quick recovery time and does not cause any hindrance to daily activities. I decided to get treatment.
In addition, my children and grandchildren regularly visit and have health checkups at MEDLATEC, so the family can be fully assured of the quality, the facilities, especially the team of top specialists here.“.
Things you should know about varicose veins
According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), varicose veins are common in about 35% of workers, about 50% of retirees, and the rate of the disease in women is 3 times higher than in men.
Varicose veins are understood as a decrease in the function of the venous system of the lower extremities that returns blood to the heart, leading to stagnation of blood in the legs, causing changes in hemodynamics and deformation of the surrounding tissue.
When the disease is in stage 1 and 2, mild symptoms such as sadness, numbness and restlessness occur. At level 3 and 4, symptoms of cramping and restless legs occur (symptoms include not being able to lie still, having to bend, stretch, or lift the legs to get comfortable). At level 5 and 6, signs of non-healing ulcers appear.
Dr. Kien emphasized that varicose veins are a chronic disease and not life-threatening. However, the disease causes discomfort and discomfort in daily activities such as tired legs, difficulty walking and swelling if you stand for a long time.
In severe cases, the veins will appear swollen and tortuous under the skin, affecting aesthetics and even causing complications such as skin ulcers, abscesses, infections and more seriously, sepsis.
According to Dr. Kien, people who are prone to varicose veins are those who often have to work in an environment where they sit or stand a lot, such as police officers, soldiers, workers, teachers, office workers, etc.
Doctors recommend that women over the age of 30 be screened for varicose veins. Apart from disease caused by lifestyle habits, disease also occurs due to genetics. If the mother has varicose veins, her daughter is 4 to 5 times more likely to develop them.
Laser vein treatment – The optimal solution for the treatment of varicose veins
The treatment of varicose veins is determined by the stage of development of the disease. In the early stages (C0-C1), measures such as lifestyle changes (exercise, diet adjustment), wearing compression stockings and using circulatory support drugs are often recommended to reduce initial symptoms.
As the disease progresses to later stages (C2 and above), endovascular interventions such as endovascular laser and radiofrequency ablation are considered more effective for treating large varices.
For cases of small vein branches, methods such as bioglue injection, surgery or sclerotherapy are applied to bring about optimal treatment results.
In the case of patient VTX, he was diagnosed with stage C3 varices. The doctor recommended laser removal.
Laser treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities is based on the principle of using heat from laser light to collapse the veins. The doctor will insert the laser fiber into the dilated vein. After turning on the current, the laser is projected onto the site that needs surgery and slowly pulled out, causing the two walls of the veins to stick together. At the same time, the anesthesia procedure combined with pumping water around the vein will help reduce the effect of the laser on the surrounding tissue, limit tissue burns and avoid sensory nerve complications.
Mrs. X. was conscious and able to walk immediately after treatment.
Advantages of laser therapy include:
- The procedure is quick, minimally invasive, has few complications and leaves no scars.
- Short treatment time, patients can be discharged on the same day.
- The recovery time is quite fast, patients can walk after 1 hour of surgery.
- The method with the highest success rate and aesthetics.
Laser technology for veins in the world is not a new technology, first applied 20 years ago, but only short wavelength laser (720 nm). Currently, the laser wavelength applied in MEDLATEC Healthcare System is the most modern laser wavelength (blue light laser), all advanced countries in the world use 1,470 nm.
The advantage of this method is that the laser will use direct heat to close and glue the two vessel walls together, while other methods will indirectly close the vein by causing inflammation. After the laser intervention, the patient can walk lightly within 2 hours and does not need to lie still like other surgical methods.
After the laser burning procedure is complete, the doctor will provide the patient with venous stockings.
To ensure the effectiveness of the treatment, doctors recommend that patients wear compression stockings for 1-3 months after the procedure to help maintain constant pressure and prevent recurrence.
If people have any questions about vein disease, please contact the hotline 1900 56 56 56 for advice and answers.
