Treatment
In the past five years, the treatment to eliminate varicose veins and all vein abnormalities has improved dramatically. Thousands of patients have been treated with new technologies which have shown excellent short and long-term results.
Endovenous Laser
Endovenous laser therapy is a process in which a laser fiber
is inserted into a vein and as the laser is withdrawn, the vein collapses.
The CoolTouch 1320 nm Laser is the newest state-of-the-art technology, gentlest, and safest laser approved by the FDA. St. Louis Laser & Vein Center is the first in St. Louis and one of the few vein centers in the Midwest to offer this technology. Other vein centers use radio frequency ablation or diode lasers, which penetrate the full thickness of the vein wall affecting nearby structures, leading to higher complication rates and a longer recovery time.
The abnormal veins are eliminated by this modern laser, which has been proven far superior to the old vein stripping operation. The endovenous laser ablation is performed by placing a small 1320nm laser fiber inside the abnormal saphenous vein or major branch. The laser energy is delivered to the vein wall and destroys only the inner lining of the vein which, in turn, causes vein collapse and closure of the abnormal vessel. Then, the blood flow is diverted to deeper and normal veins. This re-routing of blood flow decreases vein pressure in all leg veins, allowing abnormal veins to dry up, improving patients' symptoms and preventing future varices.
This minimally invasive and painless laser procedure is performed in our vein center using local anesthesia and state-of-the-art technology. The procedure lasts less than 1 hour and treats the underlying cause of varicose veins so reliably that nearly everyone enjoys immediate relief of their symptoms and dramatic cosmetic improvement.