Sharjah: The latest Endovenus Laser Treatment (ELT) for varicose veins is now being offered by Zulekha Hospital to permanently alleviate the discomfort caused to patients by the condition.
Zulekha Hospital has successfully treated a number of patients with the minimally invasive and painless ELT which can be completed in 30 minutes to an hour without any reoccurrence of the condition. Patients can be admitted as out-patients for the procedure and walk out of hospital within the same day.
Varicose veins is growing in prevalence in the UAE, and worldwide it is estimated to affect around 20 per cent of all adults at some point in their lives, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
The condition, if untreated at an early stage, can cause painful and debilitating effects from swelling in the legs.
Dr. Priya Devadas, Specialist General Surgeon, said previously, surgeons used the open Trendelenburg procedure to treat varicose veins where an incision is made on the thigh and the complete vein is removed, which can be painful and required the patient to be in the hospital for one or two days.
“Now, with the latest ELT we are able to treat the veins with this minimally invasive painless procedure that can be done as an outpatient surgery. It is great to see the instant relief felt by patients like Mr Khan who had been suffering such great discomfort from varicose veins.”
Islam Gul Hakeem Khan, 41, was treated at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah after his mobility was increasingly being affected by aggravated pain in his legs, said Devadas, who diagnosed him with multiple dilated veins in his right and left lower limbs and recommended ELT be performed.
In women, it is most commonly noticed that the first occurrence of varicose veins is during pregnancy. In a recent case at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah, a 35-year-old woman was successfully treated with ELT after she suffered varicose veins following four pregnancies.
If left unattended, varicose veins can lead to multiple risks including bursting, internal bleeding due to minor traumas, colour changes, ulcer formations, chronic pain, deformity, difficulty in walking and continuous loss of blood.
