Varicose veins no longer need to be treated with traditional surgery. In fact the more successful method of treating varicose veins is now minimally invasive, meaning the patient no longer needs to go under general anaesthetic – they can in fact drive to their procedure and drive home!
Delphi Clinic offers RFA (radio frequency ablation) to treat varicose veins. This procedure is often used in conjunction with ultrasound guided sclerotherapy. Both of these procedures utilise ultrasound to find the malfunctioning veins, and can be performed under local anaesthetic.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment where Delphi Clinic inserts a catheter into the diseased vein, introduces heat which then seals and closes the vein. At Delphi Clinic, all of our patients who undergo RFA will have met with us previously and received a bilateral ultrasound, which determines which veins need to be targeted with RFA. On the day of the procedure Dr Zach Kidman along with a sonographer, use the ultrasound map to identify the entry points of the veins they wish to target. At this point the patients’ legs will be covered in a sterile solution called Chlorhexadine before being covered in a sterile drape. The patient will then receive a local anaesthetic to ensure they are comfortable during the procedure. Once the catheter is threaded into its correct position within the vein, a second tumescent anaesthetic is administered, this surrounds the vein, which numbs and cools it preventing the patient from feeling any pain. The length of the vein will be heat sealed in stages, and once Delphi Clinic is happy they have successfully treated the vein, the catheter will be removed. The catheter is so small, the entry point won’t even require a single stitch, only a small dressing. Depending on the patient, we may also use ultrasound guided sclerotherapy alongside RFA. Delphi Clinic uses a hospital grade state of the art ultrasound which enables patients to have an incredible in clinic experience, being able to watch the procedure as it happens on a large ultrasound screen.
Would we recommend this over traditional vein surgery?
Absolutely. We see great outcomes in our patients following RFA. We can continue to treat the patient over the course of 6 months to one year, ensuring they have long lasting results.
If you’d like to discuss your leg veins further and have a customised treatment plan made for you, please email us at [email protected]
