CMH offers outpatient procedure to treat varicose veins

      Are you suffering from varicose veins? If so, a treatment option is now available in the Clinton Memorial Hospital Interventional Radiology/Vascular Laboratory.

      CMH Medical Staff physicians perform a procedure called Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT). This minimally invasive, outpatient procedure is used to treat varicose veins and is an alternative to traditional vein stripping surgery. EVLT works by laser energy heating the vein wall, shrinking and thus closing the damaged vein so blood can no longer flow through it.

      The loss of a vein is generally not an issue. Legs have many veins and after the treatment, blood in the faulty veins will be diverted to normal veins in order to make its way back to the heart.

      Eliminating these abnormal veins may actually improve blood circulation in the treated area. Improvement in limb circulation will in effect cause improvement of the symptoms of fatigue and heaviness in the area and reduce the risk of more serious symptom progression.

      The EVLT procedure uses ultrasound imaging to identify the source of major varicose veins. The vein is collapsed using laser energy delivered from a thin laser fiber placed within the specific vein. The length of the vein is numbed with a local anesthetic to eliminate discomfort and protect surrounding tissues from excess laser heat. The procedure can take between 30 to 45 minutes to perform and patients have been known to return to work the same day.

      “The entire EVLT procedure generally takes under an hour and offers immediate relief with minimal-to-no scarring.” says Dr. Darick Jacobs, an interventional radiologist on the CMH Medical Staff and medical director for interventional radiology at Clinton Memorial Hospital.

      Dr. Jacobs, who practices with Riverside Radiology and Interventional Associates in Columbus, says, “Patients can usually resume normal activities immediately with little or no pain.”

      EVLT has a success rate of 93 percent with a recurrence rate of only seven percent after two years. Side effects of the EVLT procedure include mild bruising and tenderness that usually disappears within a few weeks and a delayed tightness within the first week after treatment. This pulling sensation confirms that the veins are shrinking. Discomfort is usually mild and easily managed with over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen. More serious side effects are rare.

      For more information about this procedure, talk to your doctor, or call the CMH Interventional Radiology/Vascular Laboratory at 1-866-931-3158.