Surgery (called ‘Ligation & Stripping’) is the traditional treatment, but it can be quite painful and often has a long recovery time. It is performed in a hospital, involves general anesthesia, leaves a scar, and has a fairly high recurrence rate (on average 10-25%). Other alternatives include ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy (injection therapy) and radio frequency electrosurgery. Injection therapy for the saphenous vein has a high recurrence rate frequently requiring retreatment and is generally limited to smaller varicose and spider veins. Radiofrequency electrosurgery is more limited in the range of patients it can treat and the treatment time is longer than EVLT®.

Laser treatment of varicose veins shows clear patient benefits over surgery and other alternative treatments. These benefits include:

• Up to 98% success rate with no scarring or hospitalization
• Lower risk of complications
• Fast recovery with strong patient satisfaction

These factors and others make EVLT® the fastest growing procedure for treatment of varicose veins and one which is expected to quickly become the predominant varicose vein treatment.