The Revolutionary CoolTouch CTEV

For years vein specialists have been searching for the best way to get rid of varicose veins. UGS (ultrasound guided sclerotherapy) stops the reflux of blood into varicose veins, instead of a column of blood, the vein is blocked by thrombus. This gives long term relief of vein symptoms, but the vein has the chance of reforming and at some stage the problem vein may recur. Wouldn't it be great to get rid of the vein completely.

Some years ago, a device was developed to introduced into large veins, (the great saphenous vein). It used radiofrequency energy to destroy the inside lining of the vein. While it worked well and long term results have been excellent, the treatment was quite slow and expensive (the cost of each radiofrequency fibre was over $US 800).

But the idea of trying to destroy the inner lining of the varicose vein was a good one. Lasers have been used for many years to treat many medical problems. Why not large veins? Medical lasers come in many forms and one of the most important determinants of a laser is the frequency of the light of the laser. Lasers used to get rid of facial veins use wavelengths around 550nm. The light heats the haemoglobin (blood pigment ) which in turn heats the walls of the small blood vessel, destroying the vein. But this is a two stage process, blood is heated and then the vein wall is heated. Much better to heat the vein wall directly.

The CoolTouch CTEV laser does just this. Laser light at 1320nm is absorbed by water, water in the cells lining the vein wall. The result, the vein is destroyed by damaging only the small amount of the vein wall necessary to close it off. Less bruising, less discomfort and almost instant "vanishing" of the vein.

Clinical studies show that this form of treatment is the best long term solution to treat large varicose veins. The Alia Clinic has performed over 350 CoolTouch CTEV laser procedures with an extremely high (98%) closure rate and a very high degree of patient satisfaction. The treatment is quick, pain-free and requires no time off work for most people. No sedation or analgesia is required and you can walk straight away and drive home.

Examples

Questions and answers about the CoolTouch CTEV and EVLT

Is the procedure painful ?

No, a special local anaesthetic solution is used to numb the area treated. Called tumescent local anaesthesia, the solution is placed around the vein to be treated using a blunt infiltrator. This is the same technique as used in liposculpture. Dr. Goyen and Dr. Roberts have performed over 3000 liposuction procedures and treated over 1500 inner thigh areas using this type of local anaesthesia. The anaesthetic takes a few minutes to work and then the laser treatment is pain free.

Is endovenous laser treatment better than sclerotherapy and surgery ?

Yes, generally the vein disappears and appears less likely to reform. There is less inflammation and much less potential staining of the skin.

Does it take long?

The CoolTouch CTEV treatment of the vein takes less than an hour from start to finish.

Can all large veins be treated with the CoolTouch CTEV laser ?

Usually only veins at the top of the leg (the great saphenous vein ) and the vein behind the knee ( the small saphenous vein) are suitable for endovenous laser. The veins are usually greater than 6mm in diameter and quite straight. If this is not the case, then UGS is the treatment of choice. This will also mean that some of the smaller and branch veins leading off the large veins will need UGS treatment, but they are easier to treat when the pressure of the large vessels above them has been removed. Both treatments can be performed at the one session and all the veins of a leg can be treated at the one session, though if the other veins are large or there are many of them, it is best to wait a few days to a week to finish the treatment.

What are the side effects ?

Generally very few and less than for UGS and much less than surgery. Some bruising is possible and there may be a slight dragging sensation in the area treated for a few weeks. Complications such as skin staining appear to be much less of a problem than with UGS.

Is it expensive ?

Endovenous laser treatment using the CoolTouch CTEV costs more than ultrasound guided sclerotherapy (UGS). Though varicose veins are a medical problem, endovenous laser is not at present covered by Medicare. While it is a superior form of treatment, the out of pocket expenses between endovenous laser and UGS will be greater. You can get more information via the Online Vein consultation. At the time of your venous mapping, you will be given an exact quote for the total cost of your treatments.

What happens after treatment?

As for sclerotherapy, specially designed hosiery is used following each treatment on the treated leg. This is fitted at the time of treatment, and used for 2 weeks.

Walking is important after treatment, usually for 30 minutes. Strenuous exercise, even aerobics and yoga can increase the pressure in the treated veins and disrupt the healing process, so some short-term lifestyle adjustments must be made to get the best from your treatment.

Where do I go from here ?

The easiest way to see if you can benefit from endovenous laser, UGS and sclerotherapy treatment is to fill in the Online Vein consultation form or call the ALIA Clinic on 99061555 for an appointment time. You can consult online now and we will get back to you ASAP with information on costs etc. If you would like more information, please download the CoolTouch CTEV brochure (250kB file).

All of the " before and after" images used on this page have not been manipulated or enhanced in any way. There is no guarantee that other people will experience similar results to those shown here.

Read more about Varicose Veins