Endovenous Laser Ablation (ELA) is an image-guided procedure that uses laser-generated heat to close off and shrink varicose veins. Over the past 10-15 years ELA has proven to be so safe and effective that it has replaced most invasive surgical techniques.
Your CVH Interventional Radiologist will first numb the skin above the vein using a topical anesthetic and make a small incision to accommodate a very thin catheter. He or she will then use image guidance to direct an optical fiber to the diseased portion of the vein and deliver laser energy to the area, causing it to close it off and shrink until it is superficially invisible. Blood flow is immediately diverted to healthy veins.
The procedure is usually over within an hour and most patients are able to return to normal daily activities immediately with little or no pain.
The Board Certified Interventional Radiologists of RAO’s Center For Vascular Health are medical doctors who subspecialize in minimally invasive treatments and have performed hundreds of safe, successful ELA procedures.
For more information on ELA and the many other services we provide, please call or email us.
