Newswise — Margie Tegland hated the way the bulging vein in her leg looked but she never considered surgery to treat it until the pain set in. Over a two-year period, her discomfort turned from an ache to a pain to a near-constant burning sensation. Last June, the Oxnard, California resident had enough of the pain and ugliness and she underwent a minimally invasive procedure to correct the problem at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She was pleasantly surprised at both the ease of the VNUS Closure procedure and quick nature of the recovery.
"I went to the hospital in the morning and left in the afternoon," she recalls. "It was such a simple procedure. I had almost no pain and within a couple days I felt like myself again. And besides the good results, there was almost no interruption to my daily life required to achieve it."
According to Phillip Levin, M.D., vascular surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, Tegland was treated with the minimally invasive VNUS Closure procedure that uses radio frequency or heat placed directly into the wall of the saphenous vein, which runs from the ankle to the groin. The heat causes the vein wall to collapse, which cuts off the source of blood to the varicose veins. Varicose veins are caused by faulty valves in the saphenous vein, which over time result in bulging veins.
According to Dr. Levin, more than 12,000 Closure procedures have been successfully completed around the world. Since 1999, the VNUS Closure has been available in the United States.
Today, up to 25 million Americans, most of whom are women, suffer from symptoms similar to Tegland's. Some of those at highest risk include pregnant women, chefs, nurses, waitresses, hairdressers, and others whose jobs require prolonged sitting or standing. Previous treatments such as stripping required general anesthesia, an extended hospital stay, a long recovery and significant swelling, bruising and pain. Dr. Levin says the minimally invasive procedure offers patients a safe and effective treatment option.
"The varicose veins are removed through micro incisions. The valves no longer reflux and leak. The patient's symptoms are gone as is the ugliness of the bulging veins, and the patient can walk out of the hospital by day's end," explains Dr. Levin.
Dr. Levin's observations regarding the benefits of the VNUS Closure procedure were recently supported by the publication of a prospective study in the Aug, 2003 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery. The study compared vein stripping and the Closure procedure by evaluating procedure-related complications, overall patient recuperation and quality-of-life issues such as pain and discomfort. In every measurable category in the study, patients undergoing the Closure procedure fared better. Patients said they returned to normal daily activities within a day and went back to work within four days. The study concluded that there are currently "significant advantages" to the Closure procedure when compared with conventional vein stripping.
But Tegland did not need a study to tell her about these benefits. She has seen them first-hand, and she appreciates how the VNUS Closure helped her every time she puts on a pair of shorts. "I am pain free and do not have that visible vein in my leg," she concludes happily.
Cedars-Sinai is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For the fifth straight two-year period, it has been named Southern California's gold standard in health care in an independent survey. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities and its broad spectrum of programs and services, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. Named one of the 100 "Most Wired" hospitals, the Medical Center ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities.
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