Dr. Pradeep Muley M.D.,
Head & Senior Consultant Interventional Radiologist
Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi (India)

E-mail: – muleypradeep@hotmail.com

Website: – http://www.indianinterventionalradiology.in

http://www.centerfornst.com

Mobile: 91-9810492778
Fellow, Neurointerventional Radiology, John’s Hopkins Medical Institutions, USA

Visiting Associate, Neurointerventional Radiology, Iowa University Hospitals, USA
Fellow Interventional Radiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
Lecturer, Vascular & Interventional Radiology, KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Neuroradiology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India

Non-Surgical treatment for varicose Veins

By Multipolar RFA (Radio-frequency Ablation)

Comfortable and sedentary life-style, modern fashion, special postures adopted while performing professional duties have contributed to increased incidence of a set of diseases unheard of in the past. Varicose vein disease is one of them and is a direct result of sedentary life-style. The problem has become very common during these days. According to one estimate, 15 to 20 per cent of the population in India is suffering from varicose vein disease these days. Women suffer from this disease four times more than men. There is an increased risk of the development of varicose vein among young females who wear tight jeans and high-heeled sandals.

What is varicose vein and symptoms

The leg vein normally contain multiple valves which helps the blood flow in direction of the heart. When these valves are damaged, blood starts pooling in the legs causing swelling of the legs, aching pain, fatigue, skin discolouration, itching, varicosities and if not treated it may develops non-healing ulcers in leg. Ultimately, the person is forced to lead a disabled life.

The causes

The important causative factors are obesity, lack of exercise, abnormal pressure on veins during pregnancy, abnormal life-style, prolonged standing and prolonged sitting with legs down. Due to advanced age, overweight and lack of exercise veins of legs become very weak and, therefore, develop into varicose veins.

Today a lot of occupations and professions have sprung up where a person is required to either constantly stand up for a long time or made to sit with legs hanging down for a considerable time. Computer professionals, receptionists, security guards, traffic policemen, salesmen working at counters in shops and departmental stores and persons doing desk jobs day in and day out are the worst sufferers of varicose veins.

Why women are more susceptible to varicose veins?

Among females, due to some hormones, the walls of veins become enlarged and dilated. Besides, during pregnancy because of a lot of pressure on leg veins, these become weak and varicosed. Fashion is playing havoc among women. High-heeled sandals and tight belts and panties are significant contributors to the development of varicose veins, as these items obstruct the normal flow of blood in the veins.

Diagnosis of varicose veins

This is done by general examination and ultrasound Doppler study which can show the exact site of disease in the form of damaged valves & dilatation of veins.

Till now various treatment options available for varicose veins were elevating the legs while lying down or sitting, bending legs occasionally when standing for a long period of time, Compression Stockings, Sclerotherapy for short segment disease. Vein Stripping Surgery is a major surgery where the recurrence rate is too high, cause ugly scar in legs and 2-3 weeks needed for recovery.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the latest and most effective, patient friendly and non-surgical treatment for varicose vein using Multipolar RFA machine. Under colour-doppler ultrasound vision, a radiofrequency catheter is inserted into the abnormal vein and the vessel treated with radio-energy, resulting is closure of the involved vein.

The interventional radiologist (interventional radiologists are uniquely skilled in using the vascular system to deliver targeted treatments throughout the body without surgery) accesses the abnormal saphenous vein just above or below the knee percutaneously through a small cannula in abnormal vein. Ablation uses a thin, flexible tube called a catheter with tiny electrodes at the tip of the catheter, which heat the walls of the varicose vein, and collapses the thick veins.

Advantages of Treatment with RFA

Unlike traditional surgical treatment, this procedure needs no general anaesthesia, no surgical scar on skin, done as an OPD / day care procedure, or just one day hospital stay, no blood loss or risk of blood transfusion and makes for faster recovery. Also it is cheaper than traditional surgery and the recurrence rate is very low as compared to surgery.

Dr. Pradeep Muley is trained in the USA and Singapore and has performed over 15,000 non-surgical treatments for various diseases like uterine fibroids, uterine adenomyosis, un-operable liver tumour, liver abscesses, opening of blocked fallopian tubes, brain aneurysm and vomiting of blood from lungs and stomach.  He runs the VARICOSE VEIN AND FIBROID CLINIC AT FORTIS HOSPITAL, VASANT KUNJ, NEW DELHI.

Recently, Dr. Pradeep Muley, MD (Head and Senior Consultant Interventional Radiologist at Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi) has created INDIA’S 1^ST UTERINE FIBROID CLUB. Visit his website at http://www.indianinterventionalradiology.in Dr. Muley also holds the distinction of treating the maximum number of fibroid patients in India through the innovative Uterine Artery Embolization method.

For more in-depth information on various non-surgical treatments, call 91-9810492778 or mail to muleypradeep@hotmail.com or visit to Website: – http://www.indianinterventionalradiology.in

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