Treat varicose veins with a technology that eliminates them without cuts or scars, and with a post-surgery course that allows the patient to resume normal life in a short time. And, at the same time, to enable vascular surgeons to intervene with high precision. This is what the French company Theraclion proposes with a technology that is based on a clinical experience of over 10 years in other indications, with about 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications. What is it about? Ultrasound therapy with SONOVEIN, which uses high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), detailed high-definition ultrasound images and advanced data processing. Unlike conventional surgery, laser ablation or radiofrequency, ultrasound therapy is a completely non-invasive procedure that leaves no scars, usually requires only one session and the patient can resume daily activities immediately afterwards.
The operation of the SONOVEIN robotic platform, now also present in Italy, is similar to that of a magnifying glass that concentrates the sun’s rays on a single point: it concentrates high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound waves. Ultrasound beams are directed towards a target area, they produce energy, which generates a temperature increase in the identified point, in this way the vein heats up, shrinks and closes. Ultrasounds easily pass through the skin so that the desired therapeutic effect occurs only in the focal point, protecting the surrounding part of the epidermis. And SONOVEIN has the advantage that it can be applied even after the failure of other treatments or in cases where other conventional options cannot be performed due to the type of vein.
Dr. Paolo Casoni (pictured), vascular surgeon and Director of the Ippocrate Medical Center in Parma, the only center in Italy for the treatment of varicose veins to use SONOVEIN technology explains: “SONOVEIN is the only option available to treat a varicose vein from the outside, ultrasonically aggravating the venous wall without having to incise or remove it. This is sensational because it opens the way to therapeutic possibilities in phlebology that were previously unthinkable. I am referring above all to the unique opportunity to combine the preservation of the venous heritage with the targeted intervention, from the outside, of the refluent points only. Conservation and non-invasiveness. This is the future ».
A future that affects many people: venous disease with varices affects up to 30 percent of the adult population, and 75 percent of women, but it also affects many sportsmen due to the pressure exerted on the veins when doing sport. In healthy legs, the muscles (muscle pump), together with the elasticity of the walls and valves of the veins, ensure the transport of blood against gravity from the periphery to the heart. If the valves of the veins do not function properly or the elasticity of the vascular walls is weakened, the so-called venous reflux occurs, which causes a slowdown in venous and lymphatic drainage and a consequent accumulation of blood and fluids in the legs. This makes the disease progressive and chronic causing the development of varicose veins. The condition may present with symptoms such as pain, swollen and heavy legs, itching, and skin changes. If left untreated, these symptoms can worsen over time with possible complications such as thrombophlebitis and eczema up to ulcers. Then a visit and an echo color doppler study at a specialized vascular center will clarify if the veins are functioning correctly and which treatment to perform to avoid complications.
(taken from the Quotidiano Nazionale Salus of 19/6/2022)