What to Expect From the Venefit™ Procedure

When the valves in your veins do not work properly, this can lead to venous insufficiency or varicose veins, two issues that can affect your heath and cause uncomfortable symptoms. If you suffer from varicose veins or venous insufficiency near Houston, then your doctor may recommend a procedure called Venefit™ targeted endovenous therapy. Here’s what you can expect from this vein treatment.

How the Procedure Is Performed

The Venefit™ treatment is conducted on an outpatient basis and is a minimally invasive form of segmental radiofrequency ablation. Venefit™ involves the insertion of a catheter into a diseased vein through a small incision that the doctor makes in the skin. The catheter uses radiofrequency energy to heat the vein’s walls. This process causes the collagen in the vein’s walls to contract, thereby closing and sealing the vein. During this procedure, you will feel several needle sticks while the area around the vein is being numbed. Once this numbing occurs, you will not feel the heat from the catheter. With the diseased vein closed off, blood flow is then diverted to healthy veins.

How You May Feel After the Procedure

After your procedure is complete, you doctor may advise a walking regimen to encourage healing, but might suggest that you avoid heavy lifting in the days following the procedure. Other than this, most patients can return to their normal activities on the same day as their procedure. Due to the Venefit™ treatment’s minimally invasive nature, most patients do not experience bruising, swelling, or scarring at the treatment site. However, depending on your age and other health conditions, you may have minor swelling or bruising.

How You May Feel After the Procedurehow Is the Venefit™ Procedure Different From Other Endovenous Thermal Procedures?

The most common thermal methods for treating venous insufficiency are radiofrequency ablation (Venefit™ procedure) and endovenous laser ablation. Although both techniques are equally effective at closing the vein and have similar risks, radiofrequency ablation only heats the vein to 120 degrees celcisus, vs. approximately 700 degrees Celsius for laser ablation. This results in less bruising and pain post procedure than laser techniques. Also, because of the segmental technique, radiofrequency ablation is a much more “controlled” burn when compared with the subjective pull back rates used in laser techniques.

What to Expect Following Your Procedure

The results from Venefit™ may not be immediate, and it typically takes between one and two weeks for patients to feel a difference in their legs. While all medical treatments come with some risks, those associated with Venefit™ are small, and long-term complications are rare. Talk to your Houston vein doctor to learn if Venefit™ could be right for you.