The VenaSeal Closure System, is a relatively new type of varicose vein treatment that shows great promise. It was first used in Europe but is now approved by the FDA to be used in the United States. It has advantages over other popular varicose vein treatment like laser treatment and sclerotherapy.
How Does VenaSeal Varicose Vein Treatment Work?
First, duplex ultrasound is performed to very precisely map out a varicose vein. This will include the exact location of faulty vein valves causing venous reflux where blood is flowing in the wrong direction. Next, a very thin catheter is inserted into the varicose vein. At the tip of this catheter is a delivery system that delivers a precise amount of medical grade “super glue.” This is delivered every three millimeters along the length of the varicose vein. This super glue causes the inner walls of the varicose vein to stick together and polymerize, thus sealing off the varicose vein to blood flow. The venous blood is automatically rerouted through healthier veins.
What Type of Glue Is VenaSeal?
The glue used in VenaSeal varicose vein treatment is a medical grade, fully sterile form of cyanoacrylate. This is the same chemical polymer that is used in Super Glue and Krazy Glue sold in almost every hardware store and department store in America! Although a very tiny fraction of patients could have an allergic reaction to cyanoacrylate, it has been formulated so that most people’s cells will not react. In fact, cyanoacrylate is used to seal wounds in other branches of medicine. Dr. Weil also recommends super glue as a method of closing up a bleeding wound in a medical emergency.
How Does Sealing a Vein Help My Varicose Vein Condition?
When a vein valve becomes faulty, blood begins to pool in that vein. This increases the hydrostatic pressure in the veins and puts a lot more pressure on the veins. When this happens, the vein walls are stretched and weakened. As an analogy, you can think of a water balloon that is filled with too much water. These weakened veins may also become twisted or “varicosed.” Once veins have reached this stage, they cannot be repaired. The best course of action is to seal off that problematic vein so that blood is forced to travel through healthier veins.
What Are the Primary Advantages of VenaSeal?
The biggest advantage to the VenaSeal varicose vein treatment system is that it prevents the possibility of any nerve damage. In many forms of varicose vein treatment, especially laser procedures like EVLT, laser heat is applied on the inside the vein to cause it to collapse and seal off from blood flow. While it occurs at a relatively low rate, there is a risk of this heat energy hitting nearby nerves and damaging them. When this happens, the nerve damage can be permanent so it is serious consequence. Another issue with laser heat is it can sometimes “spill over” into nearby tissue, causing bruising, swelling, and other painful symptoms. The VenaSeal Closure System avoids this completely so patients have virtually no pain and discoloration after the procedure. In fact, they don’t even have to wear compression hose in most cases.
How Was VenaSeal Developed?
The VenaSeal Closure System is a remarkable medical success story. It was developed by Don Crawford, a chemical engineer, and Dr. Rod Raabe, a medical doctor specializing in vascular radiology. Over dinner one night, Dr. Raabe drew out some rough sketches on the back of a dinner napkin and that’s how this varicose vein treatment all began! These two gentlemen also knew the market for such a medical device was wide open and would be attractive to private investors. At least twenty-five of all people have varicose veins and the VenaSeal system would solve the problems seen in other systems. Don Crawford had extensive experience in the regulatory process for implanted medical devices so he was exceptionally effective in getting this varicose vein treatment to the point of clinical trials where is showed great promise.
You Can Get a Free Evaluation of Your Veins
In order to know if you need varicose vein treatment, it is 100 percent necessary to have your veins checked out by a vein specialist in a clinical setting such as Metro Vein Centers. They have the equipment needed to visually explore the inside of your veins and qualitatively and quantitatively pinpoint any problems. This is done with duplex ultrasound technology, not exactly equipment you can buy from the drug store or from a natural health catalog, nor would you know how to interpret the results if you could!
To set up the free evaluation, just give Metro Vein Centers a call. You do not need a doctor’s referral to do so. When you go in, you can ask your vein doctor about his or her opinion on VenaSeal compared to other forms of varicose vein treatment. Good luck!