Venous Disease

About Venous Disease  |  The Closure® Procedure - Treatment for Venous Disease  |  FAQs

About Venous Disease

Understanding Superficial Venous Reflux

Your legs are made up of a network of veins. Healthy leg veins contain valves that open and close to assist the return of blood back to the heart.

Venous reflux disease develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. This can cause blood to pool in your legs and lead to symptoms such as pain, swelling, swollen limbs, leg heaviness and fatigue, skin changes and skin ulcers, and varicose veins.

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The Closure® Procedure - Treatment for Venous Disease

St Luke’s Cardiovascular Center is pleased to offer the VNUS® Closure® procedure, in addition to other treatment modalities for comprehensive management of vein disease. The Closure procedure is a minimally invasive treatment alternative for patients with a condition known as superficial venous reflux, which often results in varicose veins and other painful symptoms.

Varicose veins are known for their distinctive blue color and bulging appearance on the skin. Resembling large, elongated worms, they afflict an estimated 10%-20% of the adult population. In the United States, that translates into 20-25 million people, the majority of whom are women.

The VNUS® Closure procedure, an alternative treatment option to traditional vein stripping surgery, brings state-of-the-art technology to an age-old disease.

The Closure procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. Using ultrasound, your physician will position the Closure catheter into the diseased vein, through a small opening in the skin. The tiny catheter delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy to the vein wall. As the RF energy is delivered and the catheter is withdrawn, the vein wall is heated, causing the collagen in the wall to shrink and the vein to close. Once the diseased vein is closed, blood is re-routed to other healthy veins.

Following the procedure, a simple bandage is placed over the insertion site, and additional compression may be provided to aid healing. Your doctor may encourage you to walk, and to refrain from extended standing and strenuous activities for a period of time.

Patients who undergo the Closure procedure typically resume normal activities within a day.

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FAQs

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins--which afflict 10% to 20% of all adults--are swollen, twisted, blue veins that are close to the surface of the skin. Because valves in them are damaged, they hold more blood at higher pressure than normal. That forces fluid into the surrounding tissue, making the affected leg swell and feel heavy.

Unsightly and uncomfortable, varicose leg veins can promote swelling in the ankles and feet and itching of the skin. They may occur in almost any part of the leg but are most often seen in the back of the calf or on the inside of the leg between the groin and the ankle. Left untreated, patient symptoms are likely to worsen with some possibly leading to venous ulceration.

Read the many Frequently Asked Questions on Varicose Veins and the Closure Procedure

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California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center

California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center is supported by one of the best heart hospital/center networks in the USA, offering quality, comprehensive patient-centered cardiovascular care by a team of top heart surgeons and physicians with leading-edge technology. Serving the entire San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco and Marin County, as well as the entire Northern California region, our team has many of the best cardiovascular surgeons and physicians in California and the United States.
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