Varicose Vein Treatment with Endovenous Laser Ablation

Modern Varicose Vein Treatment (Endovenous Laser Ablation): In the early 2000s, a revolution took place in the treatment of veins that cause large varicose veins. Interventional Radiologist Robert Min and his team first treated the damaged saphenous vein with Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA). This method involves inserting a laser into the vein, similar to an angiogram, and sealing the damaged vein from the inside, rather than surgically removing the leaking vein.

The laser-sealed vein no longer causes leakage into the varicose vein; the sealed vein is then gradually eliminated by the body. When the saphenous vein is cauterized, visible varicose veins shrink and disappear. So, which vein replaces this vein when it disappears? When the diseased vein is removed, other healthy veins take over, providing venous circulation to the leg.

Remember, there are tens of thousands of kilometers of veins in our bodies, and this treatment eliminates a maximum of 40-50 cm. Because non-surgical treatment helps the body repair itself without causing any damage, side effects are very minimal. This treatment has been successfully used in our country since 2008 under the leadership of Interventional Radiologists.

WHY SHOULD I HAVE NON-SURGICAL VARICOSE VEIN TREATMENT?
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ENDOVENOUS LASER ABLASION?
The procedure takes less than 40 minutes, and symptoms improve immediately.

You can return to your daily activities immediately. You can drive yourself home after the procedure. You may experience minor pain and bruising in your legs, but these will resolve within 10 days.

There are no surgical scars or stitches because the incision is the size of a pencil point.

Higher success rate and lower recurrence rate compared to surgery.

Patient satisfaction after the procedure is very high.
The success rate is between 93-100%. As you know, a few scientific articles are not enough for us academics to form an opinion on a topic. Meta-analyses, which are presented as numerous randomized controlled trials or compilations of dozens of articles, provide guidance. I would like to share a meta-analysis written using a compilation of 72 research articles.

A very large meta-analysis published in a surgical journal found surgery (using all methods) to be 78% successful in 3-year long-term varicose vein treatment outcomes, while laser ablation treatment was 94% successful. J Vasc Surg 2009, Van den Bos et al., Due to these advantages, endovenous laser treatment has been widely adopted by doctors and patients, and in just 5 years, it has rapidly become widespread worldwide. Since 2006, the use of endovenous laser ablation for varicose vein treatment has surpassed the number of surgical treatments performed in the past 100 years. It is also rapidly gaining popularity in our country, led by experienced interventional radiologists.