[RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF VARICOSE VEINS]

Significant advances in the endovenous technique for treating incompetent saphenous veins could change the surgical strategy in patients with varicose veins. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was approved as a new technique for the treatment of varicose veins in Japan in June 2014. In RFA, the ablation temperature is controlled by a sensor at the upper end of the catheter. The vein wall is heated with stable conductive power of 120 degrees C, resulting in endothelial denudation. The RFA method was approved in 1998 in Europe and in 1999 in the USA. The ClosurePLUS catheter was developed in 2003 and ClosureFAST in 2006. High occlusion rates and lower postoperative complication rates were reported with ClosureFAST than with ClosurePLUS. It is expected that this new ablation technique will control saphenous vein reflux with less pain and less ecchymosis after surgery. The treatment of varicose veins is less invasive with RFA devices and will become widely accepted as an alternative to conventional surgery for varicose veins in Japan.