VNUS Medical Technologies, a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally-invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, has announced that the UK NHS National Innovation Centre has identified the VNUS Closure procedure as a “select innovative technology” that is bringing benefits to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and patients.
The VNUS Closure procedure is a minimally-invasive treatment for patients suffering with symptomatic varicose veins and venous reflux, and has been demonstrated in numerous comparative studies to offer advantages over conventional vein stripping surgery. The technique will be showcased at the NHS EXPO Meeting on June 18-19, 2009.
“Our treatment alternative has enabled many NHS Trusts to perform a very common operation virtually pain-free in a simple treatment room in around 30-40 minutes, without a general anaesthetic or overnight stay,” said Michael Branagan-Harris, UK Managing Director for VNUS Medical Technologies UK Ltd. “This in turn has enabled hospitals to save money by freeing up expensive resources such as operating theatres, ward beds and staff for more invasive procedures.”
“It is clear that by freeing up hospital operating theatres and reducing both treatment and recovery times, this technique offers significant benefits for both the patient and the NHS,” said Brian Winn, Head of Technology & Product Innovation at the NHS National Innovation Centre.
“In my view, the VNUS Closure Procedure is the preferred technique to treat venous reflux because it requires no special modifications to operating areas, is well tolerated by patients, requires minimal post-procedure analgesia, and is highly effective at permanently closing the vein,” said Ian Franklin, Consultant Vascular Surgeon from Charing Cross NHS Hospital and Imperial College London, UK.
Varicose veins are caused by increased pressure in the legs as a result of venous reflux and faulty valves in the leg veins. Left untreated, venous reflux can lead to painful varicose veins, swelling in the lower limbs, and skin problems, such as itching, redness, eczema, and leg ulcers.
