From 1st September 2012, The VeinCare Centre is able to offer the new Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment by Sapheon to private patients.
Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment by Sapheon is a unique non-surgical treatment that uses a medical adhesive to safely and effectively treat varicose veins. Unlike other treatments, VenaSeal™ does not require tumescent local anaesthetic around the vein, so there are far fewer injections than with treatments such as VNUS Closure or Endo-Venous Laser. The VenaSeal™ procedure also eliminates the use of heat (or thermal energy) so there is virtually no risk of nerve or skin injury. As the medical “superglue” sets within a few minutes, there is not the prolonged healing process associated with ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy and medical stockings are not required afterwards.
How does the VenaSeal™ system work?
A tiny catheter is positioned inside the unhealthy vein using ultrasound through a small puncture in the skin. Next, a small amount of adhesive is delivered inside the vein using a special dispenser to seal the vein which has been identified as being unhealthy and which is causing the varicose veins. After the treatment, blood then travels back to the heart in nearby healthy veins. The glued vein is then absorbed by the body’s natural healing processes.
Is the VenaSeal™ Adhesive used during the procedure safe?
The VenaSeal™ Adhesive that is used during the procedure is made with a medically approved type of Cyanoacrylate, which has a proven track record of over 50 years of use in the field of medicine. The VenaSeal™ system uses a unique formulation of the compound and it is specifically designed for the treatment of varicose veins. The adhesive is very viscus and it bonds within a few minutes so there is no risk of the adhesive travelling around the body.
Being such a new procedure, the Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment by Sapheon does not have a procedure code and it is therefore not covered by private medical insurance such as BUPA, WPA, AVIVA or Simply Health. It can only be offered to those patients who are paying for themselves.
Patient suitability for the Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment will be determined after a full consultation and duplex ultrasound scan. After your assessment, the Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment will be discussed as well as more established alternatives such as VNUS Closure, endovenous laser (EVL) and Ultrasound Guided Foam Sclerotherapy.
The early results of international research do look very promising. However, because the Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment for varicose veins is so new, there isn’t sufficiently long clinical follow up to confirm that it keeps the vein closed in the medium to long term in every case.
The Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment for varicose veins reduces the number of local anaesthetic injections significantly, but if additional procedures are needed such as phlebectomies, then additional injections may be needed.
Finally, as the Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment for varicose veins is so new, the cost is higher than that of Endovenous Laser or VNUS Closure
The VeinCare Centre is very happy to offer the Sapheon Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment to patients on the understanding that:
- It is not a completely injection-free procedure
- That the results of long term follow up are not available as it is so new
- Private health insurance companies do not pay for this procedure
Contact me today for a confidential chat
If you would like to know if your veins are suitable for Venaseal™ or “superglue” treatment by Sapheon please do get in touch. I am happy to offer simple advice by telephone or email for free and without obligation. Please also remember that you can have a free ultrasound scan with our vascular technologist to see if your veins are suitable for any of the treatments we offer.