Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA, EVLT)

Varicose veins can cause discomfort, embarrassment or both. Vein ligation, physically removing the vein, used to be the only treatment, but today, endovenous laser ablation or EVLA is one of the most popular treatments. It relies on the heat from a laser to collapse the offending vein. Best of all, the procedure is minimally invasive, and there are no endovenous laser ablation side effects. Your recovery is so swift that you can walk out of the office afterward. Call the Astra Vein Treatment Center in Brooklyn and Bronx to get rid of your varicose veins painlessly.

What Is Endovenous Laser Ablation?

This minimally invasive procedure is an effective treatment for varicose veins. It relies on the heat generated by a laser. To get the procedure, visit a Brooklyn and Bronx vein center, such as Astra Vein Treatment Center. After a consultation, an experienced vascular specialist may recommend an endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) called endovenous laser ablation (EVLA).

Varicose veins are twisted, swollen, dark-colored veins that resemble a rope. They often appear on your legs. While they usually aren’t medically dangerous, they are unsightly and can be painful.

To treat them, visit a varicose vein treatment center in Brooklyn and Bronx. Dr. George Bolotin, an Interventional Radiologist who focuses on vascular conditions, offers his expertise at the Astra Vein Treatment Center. He’s familiar with a wide range of vein conditions and their treatments. He can take care of your varicose veins safely and conveniently.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Your veins return blood to your lungs and heart. To keep the blood moving forward, your veins have valves that open and close with each pump of your heart. The valves are especially critical in your lower extremities, where the blood flow has to fight gravity. While varicose veins usually occur in your legs, they can appear in your:

• Feet
• Hands or arms

When the valves in the veins of your legs fail, your blood may flow backward and pool, swelling the vein. This condition is called venous insufficiency. The varicose veins that form can cause discomfort. And if left untreated, they can cause other vascular problems, such as a venous stasis ulcer.

What Can I Expect During Endovenous Laser Treatment?

The vein ablation procedure takes less than three hours from the moment you arrive at the clinic to the moment you walk out. The EVLT procedure follows a series of steps that include:

• Wearing a hospital gown, you lay down on a hospital bed.
• Dr. Bolotin may take a closer look at your veins with an ultrasound.
• You’re given a local anesthetic to numb the area.
• Your doctor makes a tiny incision into your damaged vein.
• He inserts a catheter into the vein that emits laser energy, cauterizing the vein from the inside.
• Once your varicose veins have been treated, Dr. Bolotin wraps the area tightly to prevent bleeding and promote circulation.
• The blood finds nearby healthy veins to flow through, and the varicose veins disappear over time.

After the procedure, follow all of the endovenous laser ablation post-op instructions your vascular specialist provides. You can return to your normal activities immediately. Your recovery from endovenous laser treatment occurs over the next week with minimal restrictions.

What Are the Alternatives to Endovenous Laser Ablation?

There are other effective procedures to treat varicose veins. Dr. Bolotin recommends the one that’s most appropriate for your specific condition. In addition to EVLA, he can choose another treatment, such as:

• Endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Although similar to endovenous laser treatment, RFA uses high-frequency radio waves to produce the heat necessary to cauterize the vein.
• Sclerotherapy for varicose veins. Your vein doctor in Brooklyn injects a foamy solution into your varicose vein that causes it to collapse. The blood finds neighboring veins, and the varicose vein eventually disappears.
• Ambulatory phlebotomy. Dr. Bolotin makes a small incision on either end of the damaged vein and pulls it out with a special instrument. The procedure is performed with local anesthesia.
• Vein ligation. Your vein surgeon makes a small incision at each end of the varicose vein and then ties the vein shut. He may use this technique in conjunction with vein stripping, which is another vein removal procedure.

What Are the Advantages of EVLA?

Endovenous laser ablation has several advantages over alternatives. The three most cited include:

• Your vascular specialist in Brooklyn and Bronx usually completes the vein ablation procedure in less than one hour.
• Your vein doctor can take care of each damaged vein with only one incision.
• Afterward, you’re able to return to your normal activities immediately.

While endovenous ablation works well on medium-to-large varicose veins, it’s not well-suited for the largest varicose or smaller spider veins. Dr. Bolotin reviews your case to determine the best treatment before recommending EVLT. While endovenous laser ablation complications or side effects are possible, it has a safe history, and Dr. Bolotin is a top vascular specialist in Brooklyn, NY and Bronx, NY.

Whether your varicose veins are causing you discomfort or only embarrassment, have them checked out by a qualified vein specialist in Brooklyn and Bronx, like Dr. Bolotin. If you’re ready to be free of troublesome varicose veins, contact the Astra Vein Treatment Center today for an appointment.