Laser treatments for various medical procedures have been in use for quite some time. Thankfully we now have lasers being used for the treatment of vein disease, too. In the past, varicose vein treatment required patients to be hospitalized while vein stripping surgery was performed. Advances in technology today have made it possible to have a minimally-invasive laser treatment in which a laser’s heat is used to close the diseased vein. This removes the source of the patient’s bulging, painful varicose veins.
How Does Laser Vein Therapy Work?
Endovenous laser vein treatment is performed in order to close the diseased veins deep within the venous system that can only be seen by ultrasound. This minimally-invasive procedure is performed right in the comfort of Dr. Robert Cutchen’s Albuquerque Vein Clinic. Dr. Cutchen uses ultrasound guidance to place a long thin laser fiber into the length of the vein being treated. Once the fiber tip is positioned, a local anesthetic is injected so that it surrounds the length of the vein. The laser is activated and pulled back through the vein, burning and closing the vein as it moves. Veins that are treated are then left in place and will disappear on their own during the next 6-12 months. The remaining superficial, bulging veins can be removed with a simple procedure called Ambulatory Phlebectomy.