ADVANCE/New Treatment for Varicose Veins Could Become Gold Standard in Near Future: Johns Hopkins Dermatologist.Lifestyle & Medical Editors ADVANCE...for release 6pm March 5 (ADVANCE)PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 2001 A new treatment for varicose veins Varicose Veins Definition Varicose veins are dilated, tortuous, elongated superficial veins that are usually seen in the legs. Description called endovenous radio-frequency occlusion occlusion /oc·clu·sion/ (o-kloo´zhun) 1. obstruction. 2. the trapping of a liquid or gas within cavities in a solid or on its surface. 3. could become the gold standard for treating varicose veins in the near future, predicts a Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University, mainly at Baltimore, Md. Johns Hopkins in 1867 had a group of his associates incorporated as the trustees of a university and a hospital, endowing each with $3.5 million. Daniel C. dermatologist. Robert Weiss
The technique involves inserting a thin catheter into the defective vein through a small puncture. The catheter delivers heat in the form of radio waves Radio waves Electromagnetic energy of the frequency range corresponding to that used in radio communications, usually 10,000 cycles per second to 300 billion cycles per second. to the vein wall, causing the vein to shrink and seal shut. Other healthy veins take over to restore normal blood C flow. The procedure takes about 45 minutes and requires only a local anesthetic local anesthetic n. An agent that, when applied directly to mucous membranes or when injected about the nerves, produces loss of sensation by inhibiting nerve excitation or conduction. . Other breakthroughs are on the horizon, according to Weiss. The next major advance will be infrared glasses that enable the doctor to see the heat outline of all the veins, he says in New Choices. Then, probably within two or three years, we'll have three-dimensional ultrasound that will allow us to construct a three-dimensional map. (End of advance for release 6pm March 5) |
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