The doctor draws the catheter and probe back though the vein, until the entire vein is closed off.
The complete procedure takes just over 20 minutes, and other nearby veins take over from the saphenous vein.
Patients can get up and walk out of the office. They return three days later for an ultrasound. Marzano's study says doctors treated veins in 276 people from medical centers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. After six months, the treatment was still working and 94.4 percent of the people say they're satisfied with it, Marzano says.
However, Dr. Gabriel Goren, a general vascular surgeon at the Vein Disorders Center in Encino, California, says he believes there is still very little evidence to support Closure therapy, and is concerned about risks associated with the procedure.
"This heats up the tissue to temperatures close to the boiling point," Goren says.
"That's heat damage. You can damage the skin, you can damage the surrounding tissues. And, if in the surrounding tissues you have a nerve ending or nerve, then you damage that nerve."
This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
