What is VenaSeal?
VenaSeal is a unique, minimally invasive treatment that uses a safe-for-the-body medical glue to quickly and effectively treat varicose veins. Unlike other treatments, it does not require anesthesia to be injected into the leg via multiple needle sticks (tumescent anesthesia). With VenaSeal there are no pre-procedure drugs involved, so patients can return to their normal activities right after the treatment. You can even drive yourself home!
Unlike heat-based procedures, with the use of “vein glue” there is no risk of skin burns or heat-related nerve damage. VenaSeal usually does not require any post-treatment pain medication or uncomfortable compression stockings. Return to vigorous exercise is almost immediate.
How does the VenaSeal System work?
Using ultrasound, a doctor will guide a tiny catheter through a small access site in the skin and into the diseased area of the vein. Next, the dispenser delivers a small amount of medical glue (n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate) to close the vein. The glue literally acts as a vein adhesive, closing the defective vein(s) within seconds. Once the affected vein is closed, blood is immediately re-routed through other healthy veins in the leg.
How is VenaSeal different from other varicose vein treatments?
VenaSeal is the first and only treatment to use a medical glue to close the vein, which eliminates the need for multiple needle sticks of anesthesia and pre-procedure drugs. Unlike other varicose vein treatments, there is virtually no downtime and little to no discomfort. Since no thermal heat is delivered to the veins with this therapy, there tends to be much less inflammation, bruising, and soreness after this therapy. Lack of heat energy also removed the chance of heat-related nerve damage that can occur with laser or radiofrequency vein treatments.
Because of the unique nature of this vein adhesive, there is no requirement to wear compression stockings/compression hoses after therapy. The other major advantage is that you can return to your regular exercise regimen almost immediately.
Is the VenaSeal procedure painful?
The VenaSeal procedure requires no anesthesia to be injected into the leg around the vein; only a small amount of numbing medicine at the access site is used. Patients treated with this vein treatment system have reported little to no pain or discomfort, both during and after the procedure. It is considered to be the varicose vein treatment associated with the least amount of procedural discomfort.
After the procedure, a small bandage will be placed over the access site and you should be able to return to your normal activities immediately. Patients have reported minimal to no scarring, bruising, or swelling following the VenaSeal procedure.
What kind of results can I expect from the VenaSeal vein treatment?
Results depend on the degree and extent of your varicose veins. However, patients often report immediate relief from their uncomfortable leg symptoms. In addition, patients can expect the appearance of their legs to improve quickly after the procedure. Follow-up studies following VenaSeal demonstrate up to a 98% permanent closure rate of treated veins.
Has the VenaSeal Treatment Been Determined to Be Safe?
Yes. There have been many studies on the use of cyanoacrylate glue in the human body to treat blood vessel conditions. It has been used successfully to treat other types of vascular conditions of the body for over 35 years. Dr. Gotvald utilized this medication for the treatment of vascular malformations during his residency over 15 years ago. Cyancoacrylate’s first use for blood vessel treatment was for the treatment of vascular malformations of the brain. Then, after funded medical studies in using VenaSeal to treat varicose veins concluded its safety and efficacy for this particular vascular condition, the FDA approved VenaSeal use for varicose veins in 2015.
Austin Vein Specialists (AVS) and Dr. Joel Gotvald are preferred providers of the VenaSeal procedure through Medtronic, the company that manufactures and distributes this product. All of the procedures at AVS are personally performed by a highly qualified and Board-Certified vein specialist who is a residency and fellowship-trained vascular surgeon. Our physicians are board-certified in vascular surgery by the Vascular Board of the American Board of Surgery and the American College of Surgeons, the highest level of vein certification available. If you are interested in the VenaSeal procedure, please contact our Vein Center at (512) 220-5401.
