In 2006, VNUS introduced a new VNUS ClosureŽ FAST catheter. The first case in the UK was performed on 5th March 2007 by Mark Whiteley at The Whiteley Clinic.
There are several differences between the original VNUS ClosureŽ and VNUS ClosureŽ FAST. The VNUS ClosureŽ FAST uses a higher temperature, 120°C rather than 85°C. Instead of electrodes poking out of the ends of the catheter when opened, there is a 7 cm end, all of which treats the vein at one time. As such, the vein is treated in 6.5 cm steps, each step being 20 seconds worth of treatment.
As such, VNUS ClosureŽ FAST allows the whole Great Saphenous Vein (GSV) to be treated in approximately two minutes, more or less the same time as EVLA. Also, it has been designed to be used with tumescence (local anaesthetic) and so, just like EVLA, it can be used in the office base or clinic base treatment room using a local anaesthetic tumescent technique.
As the temperature is only 120°C and it is applied gently over the whole of the 6.5 cm length, it is excellent for treating veins that are regular in shape. Veins with good tissue in the walls and no bulges, webs or scars, are completely closed by the heat with permanent destruction as with the original VNUS ClosureŽ technique, but with the additional advantage over laser of no bursting the vein and therefore minimal bruising and pain.
We have had three patients who have had endovenous laser ablation on one leg, followed by VNUS ClosureŽ FAST on the other leg. All have stated that the pain was considerably less and virtually non-existent on the VNUS ClosureŽ FAST side.
For those patients with veins suitable for VNUS ClosureŽ FAST, this has become the technique of choice at The Whiteley Clinic for the truncal veins. Endovenous laser ablation is still very useful for those veins that could not be treated effectively by the VNUS ClosureŽ FAST technique.
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