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VNUS Closure-FAST, Third-Party Finance More information.Differences between Closure-FAST Radiofrequency Catheter and Laser Catheter
What is the difference between the Closure-FAST radiofrequency catheter and the laser catheter?
The Closure-FAST radiofrequency catheter procedure is standardised and safe. A generator is connected to the catheter outside the patient’s body; this maintains exactly the right working temperature over a period of 20 seconds and regulates the transfer of energy. Every section of the vein being treated receives the same amount of energy at the same time. Because the catheter’s heating element is 7 cm long, the same stretch of vein is always treated with the same amount of energy, regardless of the vein’s diameter. The temperature necessary for the treatment is 120°C and affects only the vein wall. The patient’s body temperature is measured outside the vein, which is not destroyed by the heat and remains intact. Following the treatment the vein contracts and connective tissue is formed, blocking the vein. This entire structure is then dissolved by the body. One year after the treatment, the vein can no longer be detected by ultrasound examination. Only once this examination has shown that the vein has disappeared without trace can the operation be considered a success. Until the vein has disappeared completely, it can – as with the laser or RFITT method – open up again, meaning that the patient has to be treated again.
For the laser treatment there is no standardised operating procedure. There are several different laser systems, with different wavelengths. Different doctors use different levels of energy, varying from 15 to 150 Watts. The speed at which the laser is withdrawn is determined by the doctor carrying out the procedure, not regulated by the generator. Veins that are larger in diameter receive different levels of energy according to the doctor’s judgment. The operating temperature of the laser systems is 1000°C. This temperature boils the blood in the vein, causing a thrombosis to form. This closes off the vein; but until the thrombosis has been transformed into connective tissue, the vein can reopen at any time. The high operating temperature regularly destroys the vein, and the laser burns holes in the wall of the vein when it is withdrawn. If the structures surrounding the vein are not adequately protected, complications can occur, which are sometimes more serious than those that can result from stripping operations. (See also next question: what are the advantages of Closure-FAST catheter over the laser catheter?
The Closure-FAST radiofrequency catheter procedure is standardised and safe. A generator is connected to the catheter outside the patient’s body; this maintains exactly the right working temperature over a period of 20 seconds and regulates the transfer of energy. Every section of the vein being treated receives the same amount of energy at the same time. Because the catheter’s heating element is 7 cm long, the same stretch of vein is always treated with the same amount of energy, regardless of the vein’s diameter. The temperature necessary for the treatment is 120°C and affects only the vein wall. The patient’s body temperature is measured outside the vein, which is not destroyed by the heat and remains intact. Following the treatment the vein contracts and connective tissue is formed, blocking the vein. This entire structure is then dissolved by the body. One year after the treatment, the vein can no longer be detected by ultrasound examination. Only once this examination has shown that the vein has disappeared without trace can the operation be considered a success. Until the vein has disappeared completely, it can – as with the laser or RFITT method – open up again, meaning that the patient has to be treated again.
For the laser treatment there is no standardised operating procedure. There are several different laser systems, with different wavelengths. Different doctors use different levels of energy, varying from 15 to 150 Watts. The speed at which the laser is withdrawn is determined by the doctor carrying out the procedure, not regulated by the generator. Veins that are larger in diameter receive different levels of energy according to the doctor’s judgment. The operating temperature of the laser systems is 1000°C. This temperature boils the blood in the vein, causing a thrombosis to form. This closes off the vein; but until the thrombosis has been transformed into connective tissue, the vein can reopen at any time. The high operating temperature regularly destroys the vein, and the laser burns holes in the wall of the vein when it is withdrawn. If the structures surrounding the vein are not adequately protected, complications can occur, which are sometimes more serious than those that can result from stripping operations. (See also next question: what are the advantages of Closure-FAST catheter over the laser catheter?