Minimally Invasive Treatment for Varicose Veins to be showcased at National Health Service EXPO
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VNUS(R) Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNUS), a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, today announced that the UK NHS National Innovation Centre has identified the VNUS Closure(R) procedure as a select innovative technology that is bringing benefits to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and patients. The VNUS Closure procedure is a minimally invasive treatment for patients suffering with symptomatic varicose veins and venous reflux, and has been demonstrated in numerous comparative studies to offer advantages over conventional vein stripping surgery. The technique will be showcased at the NHS EXPO Meeting on June 18-19, 2009.
'Our treatment alternative has enabled many NHS Trusts to perform a very common operation virtually pain-free in a simple treatment room in around 30-40 minutes without a general anaesthetic or overnight stay,' said Michael Branagan-Harris, UK Managing Director for VNUS Medical Technologies UK Ltd. 'This in turn has enabled hospitals to save money by freeing up expensive resources such as operating theatres, ward beds and staff for more invasive procedures.'
'It is clear that by freeing up hospital operating theatres and reducing both treatment and recovery times, this technique offers significant benefits for both the patient and the NHS,' said Mr. Brian Winn, Head of Technology & Product Innovation at the NHS National Innovation Centre.
'In my view the VNUS Closure procedure is the preferred technique to treat venous reflux because it requires no special modifications to operating areas, is well tolerated by patients, requires minimal post-procedure analgesia and is highly effective at permanently closing the vein,' said Ian Franklin, Consultant Vascular Surgeon from Charing Cross NHS Hospital & Imperial College London.
Varicose veins are caused by increased pressure in the legs as a result of venous reflux and faulty valves in the leg veins.
