ELVA - Patient Instructions

Before Treatment

You may eat and drink normally before the procedure – however please avoid alcohol and caffeine-containing products. (e.g. COFFEE, TEA, GREEN TEA, CHOCOLATE, SOFT DRINKS)

• Please bring your support stockings with you to the clinic.
  
• Please bring comfortable, loose fitting clothes that can be worn over the stockings and or bandages.
  
• Please wear high cut, dark-colored undergarments (the prep solution may stain clothing).
  
• We recommend you arrange for transportation home following the procedure.

The Treatment

• EVLA typically takes less than an hour to perform.
  
• On arrival you will be asked to change into a gown – if your undergarments are high-cut these may be left on.
  
• Consent to perform the procedure will be obtained.
  
• The vein to be treated will be mapped out by ultrasound.
  
• A pre-treatment photograph will be taken.
  
• You will then lie on the treatment table and a cleaning solution will be used on your leg.
  
• Sterile drapes will be placed around the treatment leg. (All materials used are sterile and are disposed after single use).
  
• Local anaesthetic (“freezing”) is placed at the entry site.
  
• A needle is placed through the skin into the center of the vein to be treated. (Rarely a small incision is made).
  
• A Guidewire is placed through this needle into the vein. You may feel this wire but it will not be painful.
  
• A sheath (tube) will be placed over the Guidewire and the correct position in the vein found using ultrasound.
  
• The laser fiber will be placed into this sheath.
  
• More freezing will be placed along the vein to be treated.
  
• Protective eyewear is then applied to everyone in the room.
  
• The laser then is turned on and pulled back along the vein – using heat energy to close the vein channel. The laser is only on for 2 to 4 minutes in total.
• After the laser is removed a small bandage is placed on the skin.
  
• Your compression stocking will then be applied

Immediately after the Treatment

Your support stockings will be placed on your leg to apply pressure to the treatment area. We encourage you to get up off the treatment table and walk for about 5 minutes to ensure the bandages are comfortable and to promote circulation.