A device for endoluminal thermal obliteration of varicose veins

Abstract

Amongst the techniques of endoluminal thermal obliteration of varicose veins, the most commonly employed treatment modalities are endovasal radiofrequency ablation and endovasal laser obliteration, both using a generating source and a special device for carrying out thermal obliteration. It has been noted that each of the methods of thermal obliteration has a number of disadvantages, irrespective of using the energy of magnetic oscillations in a radiofrequency range or laser radiation, including high cost of expendable materials and equipment. The device we worked out for endoluminal thermal obliteration of varicose veins was based on the principle of high efficacy and safety, with a significant decrease in the cost of carrying out the manipulation. This was achieved by means of developing a new device wherein a thermal effect is exerted not via the direct impact of laser radiation on the venous wall but at the expense of using laser energy exceptionally for heating a metal tip located at the distal end of high-strength metallized fibre coated with a heat-resistant polymer. Analysing the initial short-term results of using the new technique of thermal obliteration in treating a total of 50 patients presenting with varicose veins made it possible to draw a conclusion on high efficacy of the method and its safety. The proposed device may repeatedly be used with any and simplest-in-design source of laser radiation regardless of the wavelength and power of radiation. Implementation of this technique into clinical practice will make it possible to decrease manifold the cost of the procedure of thermal obliteration of varicose veins, currently carried out with the use of the classic techniques - endovasal laser obliteration and endovasal radiofrequency ablation.