MEDLATEC General Hospital applies laser technology for the first time in the treatment of varicose veins

Complicated case, procedure time is twice as long as normal case

On 8/10, at MEDLATEC General Hospital, the hospital's medical team worked with experts to apply laser technology to treat a patient with varicose veins.

The patient is Ms. VTX (born in 1952, residing in Ngo Quyen District, City. Hai Phong). About a week ago, Ms. X. came to MEDLATEC General Hospital for examination with symptoms of enlarged blood vessels in her legs, itching, and scratching a lot...

Image of lower limb varicose veins

Ms. X. shared that in the past, after giving birth, her legs started to itch and her veins started to appear… the doctor recommended that she wear compression stockings, but she didn’t wear them because they felt uncomfortable. Over time, her veins became larger.

Recently, the blood vessels have become increasingly enlarged, so the children and grandchildren took him to MEDLATEC General Hospital for examination.

Here, doctors performed a vascular ultrasound, which is the most effective method of diagnosing varicose veins today. The ultrasound procedure was performed using the advanced VIVID S70N machine, allowing for a detailed assessment of the size, path, and abnormalities of the veins, as well as the degree of valve failure. 

Laser machine with 1.470nm wavelength is used to treat varicose veins at MEDLATEC

Based on the ultrasound results, Ms. X. was diagnosed with level 3 varicose veins on both lower limbs, with many large varicose veins affecting her appearance. The doctor recommended that the patient undergo a radical intervention procedure.

Doctor Nguyen Tri Kien - Department of Diagnostic Imaging, MEDLATEC General Hospital said that in cases of level 3 varicose veins, if there is no intervention or only minimal conservative intervention, the risk of progression to level 4 (with ulcers) is very high.

Observation on the skin of patient X's leg before the intervention showed that there was an area of ​​skin pigmentation change (dark, dull) due to the skin area being constantly deprived of oxygen. If the condition persists, the patient's leg is at risk of ulceration.

After the examination and consultation, the patient is assigned to undergo laser treatment. The patient is anesthetized and fully conscious, speaking normally during the procedure.

Although the case was highly complex, thanks to experience and support from modern technology, the doctors successfully performed this procedure.

Sharing about the case of patient X, Dr. Kien said that in normal patients, the saphenous vein runs in a straight line, the number of side branches is there but small in size and quantity. In particular, for patient X, the vein is dilated, the path is winding, the number of side branches is large, the side branches are dilated larger than the main branches... These abnormal factors cause difficulties in the intervention process, the tube is easily lost, leading to a longer intervention time.

Considered a difficult case, the procedure to intervene on both limbs with a laser head usually ends in 2 minutes, but Ms. X's case lasted 45 hour and 1 minutes.

"Compared to previous varicose vein treatments, this was not the most difficult case, the access was not the most difficult, and the patient's level of stimulation was not high. However, this was still considered a difficult case, as the needle and instrument insertions could not reach the root of the saphenous vein.

For a normal patient, the time from inserting the needle into the patient's skin to bringing the instrument to the location that needs intervention is less than 5 minutes, in this case it took up to 25 minutes to reach the saphenous vein loop. The time to perform the intervention procedure on 2 limbs with a laser burner usually ends in 45 minutes, today's procedure lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Although the time is longer, the effect on the patient is completely absent, there is no increase in blood loss, no increase in pain, and the amount of anesthetic used on the patient remains unchanged.", Dr. Kien shared.

Immediately after the procedure, the patient was able to sit up and eat normally. Ms. X. said she felt comfortable and pain-free. Doctors, staff, and employees medical The hospital staff are attentive, enthusiastic and gentle in their advice. The facility is spacious, clean and modern, the process is quick and there is no need to wait long.

Dedicated team of experts and doctors throughout the procedure in Ms. X's case.

Sharing the reason for choosing MEDLATEC General Hospital as a place for treatment, Ms. X. said: “Previously, seeing my neighbor who had the same illness as me had to stay in the hospital for 7 days, and after 2 months of abstinence at home, he still couldn't walk, I was worried and didn't go for treatment. Recently, I went to the hospital for a check-up and was advised by a doctor at MEDLATEC about the high-frequency laser burning method, which is painless and has a quick recovery time, and does not cause any hindrance to daily activities, so I decided to get treatment.

In addition, my children and grandchildren also regularly visit and have health check-ups at MEDLATEC, so the family is completely assured of the quality, facilities, especially the team of leading experts here.".

Things to know about varicose veins 

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), varicose veins are common in about 35% of working people, about 50% of retired people, and the rate of disease in women is 3 times higher than in men.

Varicose veins are understood as a decline in the function of the lower limb venous system returning blood to the heart, leading to blood stagnation in the legs, causing changes in hemodynamics and deformation of surrounding tissue.

When the disease is in stage 1 and 2, mild symptoms such as sadness, numbness, and restlessness appear. At level 3 and 4, symptoms of cramps and restless feet appear (symptoms include not being able to lie still, having to bend, stretch, or lift the legs to feel comfortable). At level 5 and 6, signs of non-healing ulcers appear.

Dr. Kien emphasized that varicose veins are a chronic disease and not life-threatening. However, the disease causes discomfort and inconvenience in daily activities such as tired legs, difficulty walking, and swelling if standing for a long time.

In severe cases, veins will appear bulging and tortuous under the skin, affecting aesthetics and even causing complications such as skin ulcers, abscesses, infections, and more seriously, sepsis. 

According to Dr. Kien, people who are susceptible to varicose veins are those who often have to work in an environment where they sit or stand a lot, such as police, soldiers, workers, teachers, office workers, etc.

Doctors recommend that women over 30 years old should be screened for varicose veins. In addition to being a disease caused by lifestyle habits, the disease also appears due to genetics. If the mother has varicose veins, the risk of her daughter having it is 4 to 5 times higher.

Laser Vein Treatment – ​​The Optimal Solution for Varicose Veins Treatment 

Treatment of varicose veins is determined by the stage of progression of the disease. In the early stages (C0-C1), measures such as lifestyle changes (exercise, diet adjustment), wearing compression stockings, and using circulatory support drugs are often recommended to reduce initial symptoms. 

As the disease progresses to later stages (C2 and above), endovascular interventions such as endovascular laser and radiofrequency ablation are considered most effective in treating large varicose veins. 

For cases of small vein branches, methods such as biological glue injection, surgery, or sclerotherapy are applied to bring about optimal treatment results.

In the case of patient VTX, he was diagnosed with stage C3 varicose veins. The doctor prescribed laser ablation. 

Laser treatment of varicose veins of the lower limbs is based on the principle of using heat from laser light to collapse the veins. The doctor will insert the laser fiber into the dilated vein. After turning on the power, the laser is projected onto the location that needs intervention and slowly pulled out, causing the two vein walls to stick together. At the same time, the process of anesthesia combined with pumping water around the vein will help reduce the impact of the laser on the surrounding tissue, limit tissue burns as well as avoid complications on the sensory nerves.

Mrs. X. was completely conscious and able to walk immediately after treatment.

The advantages of laser treatment include:

• The procedure is quick, minimally invasive, has few complications and leaves no scars;
• Short treatment time, patients can be discharged the same day;
• Recovery time is quite fast, patients can walk after 1 hour of surgery;
• The method with the highest success rate and aesthetics.

Laser technology on veins world not a new technology, first applied 20 years ago, but only short wavelength laser (720 nm). Currently the laser wavelength applied at MEDLATEC Healthcare System is the most modern laser wavelength (blue light laser), all advanced countries in the world are using 1.470nm. 

The advantage of this method is that the laser will use direct heat to close and glue the two vessel walls together, while other methods will indirectly close the vein through causing inflammation. After laser intervention, the patient can walk lightly within 2 hour and does not need to lie still like other surgical methods. 

After the laser burning process is completed, the patient will be given venous stockings by the doctor.

To ensure treatment effectiveness, doctors recommend that patients wear compression stockings for 1-3 months after the procedure to help maintain stable pressure and prevent recurrence.

If people have any questions related to venous disease, please contact hotline 1900 56 56 56 for advice and answers.