• About VenaCure™
• What is the VenaCure™ Procedure?
• How is a Laser Procedure Different from Surgery?
• I've Heard About Lasers Being Used in Medicine But I'm Not Sure How They Work. Are They Safe?
• Exactly How Does a Laser Treat Varicose Veins?
• What is the Actual Procedure Like?
• How Do I Prepare?
• How Long Before I See the Result?
• Will the Result Last?
• Will My Insurance Cover It?
• Varicose Veins Explained

Before VenaCure™ Treatment

After VenaCure™ Treatment

About VenaCure™
If you’ve been living with varicose veins for fear the treatment is too complicated, painful and risky, the following questions and answers should make you feel a lot better about your future. Because thanks to VenaCure™ from AngioDynamics, the news couldn’t be better: No, you don’t have to live with varicose veins. And no, you don’t need surgery to get rid of them.

For years, people who suffer from varicose veins have been wishing those words were true. And now, thanks to advances in the use of medical lasers, they are. It's a new procedure being offered by your physician, proven to get excellent results without the pain and lengthy recovery of surgical "vein stripping." If you've been living with the pain and self-consciousness of varicose veins, these questions and answers offer new hope about the treatment.
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What is the VenaCure™ Procedure?
Endovascular Laser Venous System for ablation of the Greater Saphenous Vein (GSV) for the treatment of varicose veins. This is generally a new procedure, primarily performed by Interventional Radiologists (IR) and Vascular Surgeons (VS).

The current standard procedure is vein stripping and legation surgery with an estimated 735,000 procedures performed world wide annually. It is estimated that an additional 25% to 30% of patients do not have this treatment due to its invasive nature.
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How is a Laser Procedure Different from Surgery?
Surgery involves considerable preparation, general anesthesia, pain in the affected areas, and a lengthy recovery period. The medical laser technology used in VenaCure™ eliminates all of that.

First, it's "minimally invasive," meaning the entry point through which your physician gets the laser fiber to the target area is extremely small, not even requiring stitches.

Second, there is really no "recovery" to speak of. In fact, you'll be up and walking as soon as it's over, able to return to full normal activity.

Third, the risk of infection is extremely low.

Fourth, it involves minimal discomfort.
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I've Heard About Lasers Being Used in Medicine But I'm Not Sure How They Work. Are They Safe?
Simply put, a laser is a highly concentrated beam of light. Medical lasers work by delivering this light energy to the targeted tissue with extreme precision so as not to affect the surrounding tissue. And they've proven their safety and effectiveness through years of use in all kinds of medical procedures, from eye surgery to dermatology. In the hands of a skilled physician, lasers offer far less risk and complications than conventional surgery.
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Exactly How Does a Laser Treat Varicose Veins?
The laser treats reflux of the greater saphenous vein with laser light emitted to the target area through a thin fiber inserted into the vein.
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What is the Actual Procedure Like?
It takes about 45 minutes right in your physician's office and no general anesthesia is required, just a local anesthetic. Your physician then inserts a thin laser fiber into the vein through a sheath and the laser light is emitted through the fiber. While you might feel some unfamiliar sensation, it is not painful. And it’s all done in an outpatient setting like your physician’s office or a one-day surgery center.
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How Do I Prepare?
Simply avoid taking any food or liquid two hours before the procedure.
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How Long Before I See the Result?
There may be some slight swelling right after the procedure, but you could start seeing results right away.
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Will the Result Last?
In clinical trials laser treatment has proved to be 97% effective - an outstanding record of success. Therefore, you should experience no reoccurrence in the veins that have been treated. Follow-up procedures may be desired to obtain optimal aesthetic results.
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Will My Insurance Cover It?
Check your policy and call your insurance provider to find out what their exact coverage will be.
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Varicose Veins Explained
Your veins carry blood from the capillaries to the heart. In your leg, this means the blood has to flow upward, against gravity. Consequently, these veins have one-way valves to prevent the blood from backflowing. Over time, these valves can fail to close tightly, allowing blood to pool and causing the bulging and twisting characteristic of varicose veins.
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