A method of preventing sensation. With general anesthesia the patient is put to sleep. A local anesthetic prevents feeling in a specific area of the body without affecting consciousnesses.
In the context of the Closure procedure: a slender, 60- to 100-centimeter-long device designed to move within the vein and close it by delivering radiofrequency energy through a group of specially designed electrodes.
An outpatient (day surgery) treatment of inserting a catheter into the vein through a small opening (often using only a single needle stick), to deliver radiofrequency (RF) energy to the vein wall, which causes it to heat, collapse and seal shut as the catheter is pulled from the vein. Anesthesia is typically used to numb the treatment area. Like other venous procedures, this can have risks and potential complications. Patients should consult their physicians to determine whether or not they are candidates for this procedure and if their medical condition presents any special risks.
Elastic or latex stockings that apply pressure to prevent venous blood pooling. Stockings are usually knee or thigh length and available in varying pressures and colors.
The major protein in connective tissue, which shrinks or thickens when heated.
A liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, that boils at a temperature below -160°C and is used as a refrigerant.
Inside a vein.
The thin, outermost layer of the skin, which is itself made up of several layers.
Redness of the skin caused by congested capillaries.
Extreme tiredness or weariness, often the result of physical or mental activity or stress.
Any medical treatment provided within the United States must first be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This includes drugs, treatment therapies and medical devices. Often these treatments have been used successfully in Europe prior to FDA approval.
A surgical cut.
The delivering of medication in liquid form via syringe.
Use of a high-intensity light beam to eliminate small varicose veins just below the skin's surface.
One who is not hospitalized, but is instead cared for in a doctor's office, clinic or day-surgery center.
Acute, unpleasant physical discomfort.
Color of skin tissues; pigmentation disorders darken or lighten skin in spots or blotches.
Energy that generates heat by stimulating natural molecules in and around tissues. RF energy can be used to shrink, cut and/or cauterize tissue, depending on temperature and frequency settings.
Backward flow; when blood flows toward the feet instead of the heart. This is caused by incompetent leg vein valves and contributes to the development of varicose veins.
A common treatment for small-diameter (1-2 mm) surface or spider veins involving injection of a liquid, such as a highly concentrated saline solution, to destroy the vein lining and collapse the vein(s).
Small blood vessels near the skin's surface that appear as tiny, twisted, purple lines.
Veins which are just beneath the skin. Because they enjoy less support from adjacent muscles and bones, they can develop areas of weakness in their walls and are more likely than deep veins to become varicose.
With obvious symptoms.
These are vascular lesions that appear near the surface of the skin on the face (cheeks, nose, chin) or legs, (thighs, calves, ankles and knees). They are typically clusters of small, dilated red, blue or purple veins measuring between 0.5 and 1 millimeter in diameter. Approximately 25-30% of women and 10-20% of men have telangiectasia.
Skin lesions caused by tissue deterioration, usually accompanied by inflammation and necrosis (dead tissue).
A noninvasive means of viewing soft tissues and body cavities through high-frequency sound waves that are converted into a picture.
High-frequency energy applied via an ultra-fine, insulated probe, which collapses vein walls making them permanently disappear. Finely targeted, the treatment does not irritate surrounding skin.
Leg vein tissue "flaps" that open and close to keep blood flowing toward the heart.
Veins that are elongated, dilated, tortuous, pouched and thickened, making them highly visible. The condition is due to incompetent valves and plagues an estimated 10%-20% of the general population. More frequent among women, both men and women can develop varicose veins after age 50.
See venous vessels.
Veins that carry oxygen-depleted blood to the heart. (Arterial vessels carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart.)
See Reflux.