McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) are two minimally invasive treatments used to effectively treat varicose veins, but what’s the difference?
Date posted — 29.09.24
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) are two minimally invasive treatments used to effectively treat varicose veins. Both procedures aim to close off problematic veins, preventing them from causing further symptoms and leading to their eventual absorption by the body.
RFA uses radiofrequency energy to generate heat within the vein. A thin catheter is inserted into the vein through a small incision, and once inside, the radiofrequency energy is delivered through the catheter, causing the vein walls to heat up, collapse, and seal shut. This treatment is performed under local anaesthetic, and most patients experience little discomfort, with a quick recovery time and minimal scarring.
EVLA works on a similar principle but uses laser energy instead of radiofrequency to achieve the same result. During EVLA, a laser fibre is guided into the affected vein, and when activated, the laser’s heat damages the vein walls, causing them to collapse and close off.
Like RFA, EVLA is performed under local anaesthetic and is considered highly effective for treating varicose veins. Both RFA and EVLA offer excellent outcomes with low risk of complications, making them preferred options over more invasive surgical treatments. These procedures allow patients to resume normal activities relatively quickly, with significant improvement in both the appearance of the legs and the symptoms associated with varicose veins.
Although RFA and EVLA are very similar in terms of success rates at shutting down larger varicose veins, several studies have suggested that RFA may be associated with lower complication rates, so RFA is our preferred traditional endovenous method.
An even newer endovenous technique known as Venaseal™, however, is an exciting addition to our practice. The success rate of Venaseal™ is similar to both RFA and EVLA. However, it uses glue rather than heat to close the veins and is associated with even less discomfort.
The benefits of RFA for treating varicose veins are numerous, making it a popular choice for both patients and doctors. RFA is minimally invasive, requiring only a small incision to insert a catheter into the affected vein. This results in less pain, minimal scarring, and a quicker recovery time compared to traditional surgical methods.
The procedure is typically performed under local anaesthetic, reducing the risks associated with general anaesthetic. RFA is highly effective, with a success rate of over 90%, and provides long-term relief from the symptoms of varicose veins, such as pain, swelling, and leg fatigue. Additionally, patients can usually return to their normal activities within a day or two, making it a convenient option for those looking for an effective and efficient treatment.
Dr Alex Vesey is our expert consultant vascular surgeon who heads up our varicose vein team. Listen to him explain the Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) treatment.
RFA is considered better than EVLA for treating varicose veins in our practice because it’s generally a more comfortable experience and has a lower risk of complications.
RFA typically causes less post-procedural pain and bruising because it uses radiofrequency energy, which generates a gentler heat compared to the intense heat from laser energy used in EVLA. This can result in a smoother recovery with less discomfort for patients.
Additionally, RFA has a slightly lower risk of nerve damage, particularly in areas where veins are close to nerves, such as the lower leg. The procedure’s outcomes are highly successful and comparable to EVLA but with a more favourable side effect profile, making RFA a preferred option for many patients and clinicians.
Recently, we have introduced the Venaseal™ procedure. Venaseal™ is even less invasive because it avoids the use of heat altogether, which causes even less discomfort whilst still achieving excellent closure rates and long-term outcomes for patients.
If you’d like to find out if RFA is the right treatment for you, the first step is to fill out our online consultation form. From there, our team will be able to arrange an initial consultation and ultrasound scan, and we can work together to create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs.
If you're struggling with the discomfort, swelling, or unsightly appearance of varicose veins, Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) could be the solution...
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and...
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
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If you're struggling with the discomfort, swelling, or unsightly appearance of varicose veins, Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) could be the solution...
When it comes to treating varicose veins, VenaSeal™ has emerged as a revolutionary option that offers a minimally invasive and...
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear just under the skin, primarily in the legs and feet.
Here is another beautifully balanced deep plane face and neck lift by the skilful @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The deep plane technique, as the name suggests, works at a deeper level, repositioning the underlying structures of the face and neck rather than simply tightening the skin. By addressing the deeper tissues, we can restore more natural proportions, refine the jawline, and create a smoother, more defined contour beneath the chin - especially when the patient moves or bends their neck forward.
To achieve this impressive improvement in the neck, even in flexion, Russell reduced the deep fat (from under the muscle), trimmed and shaped the salivary glands and reconstructed the muscles of the neck to create a rejuvenated result. This is a much more sophisticated procedure compared with a standard face and neck lift.
At just 2 months post-op, her result is already beautifully balanced. The jawline is sharper, the neck more sculpted, and everything sits in harmony with the rest of her features. Scars are settling well and will continue to soften over time.
She may choose to refine things further with laser resurfacing for skin quality and subtle volume restoration in the mid-face, but even at this stage, the transformation speaks for itself.
Thank you to our patient for allowing us to share her journey.
What do you think?
Thank you to this lovely patient for allowing us to share her beautiful result from the talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is just 2.5 months after upper eyelid surgery, and already looking incredibly fresh and natural. The scars are settling very well and will continue to soften over the coming months.
The incisions are carefully placed within the natural eyelid crease, making them very difficult to see once healed. Excess skin has been removed to open up the eye area, while maintaining a soft, natural appearance.
A small amount of muscle was reduced at the outer part of the eyelid to address hooding, without affecting the central area. This helps preserve a youthful fullness above the eye. There has also been a conservative reduction of the lateral brow fat to further refine the contour. This highly tailored, bespoke approach to surgery is the attention to detail that lies at the heart of our clinic’s approach and philosophy.
As with many patients, her anatomy meant these changes developed earlier than expected. In the right cases, surgery at a younger age can deliver a subtle but very impactful improvement.
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Happy Easter from our excited little bunnies 🐣🐰
Thank you to our lovely patient for allowing us to share these photos.
This is just 4 weeks after her first session (of three) with Juläine and we’re already starting to see a soft return of fullness and improvement in skin quality.
Juläine is not a traditional filler. It works by stimulating your body’s own collagen production, gradually restoring structure, firmness and elasticity from within.
This is just the beginning. As collagen continues to rebuild over the coming weeks and months, results will become more noticeable with improved support, smoother contours and a natural, refreshed appearance.
The patient is delighted with her progress so far. What do you think?
And this is why HA fillers have never gone out of fashion in our practice!
This lovely patient had all the classic signs of volume loss in her face and there is no other non-surgical treatment that can address this quite as quickly, effectively and non-invasively as HA filler. Of course, it needs to be carefully and sensitively applied.
This patient had a total of 10mls of HA as well as some wrinkle relaxing on the upper face. She is delighted with her restoration. What do you think?
Upper eyelid surgery isn’t just for ageing eyes! Some patients naturally have excess upper eyelid skin from a young age due to their anatomy, like this 29-year-old patient who had a congenital upper eyelid fold and recently underwent an upper blepharoplasty with the ever-talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
The excess eyelid skin rested directly on her eyelashes, causing irritation and a persistent feeling of heaviness around the eyes which had been bothering her for several years. Upper eyelid surgery can address both functional symptoms and aesthetic concerns, helping patients achieve a lighter, more open eye appearance.
This patient is just 7 weeks after surgery. At this early stage of healing the scars are still maturing and in younger patients this process can take slightly longer. The incision is placed within the natural eyelid crease and as healing progresses the scar typically fades and becomes extremely difficult to see, often blending into the natural eyelid fold.
She`s delighted with the results so far, and we`re grateful to her for allowing us to share her results with you.
What do you think?
Thank you once again to another lovely patient who has allowed us to share her photos with you.
She came to see me wanting a refresh and was open to suggestions, surgical and non-surgical. Her biggest concern however was wrinkles and lines and skin texture problems.
Surgery doesn’t help with this and injectables are limited too - the gold standard here is laser resurfacing, which is what we went with. We did a full field ablation of the full face including her eyelids.
This is her a month or so later. You can see she is still a bit red, especially around the eyes where we went the deepest, but she is already loving life with her new skin.
What do you think?
The non-surgical facelift!
You might have heard us talking a lot recently about combination treatments, using different treatment modalities to create synergy in non-surgical rejuvenation. The reason this works so well is that the different layers of the face age in different ways.
We focus a lot on skin tightening, which is super important, but that’s only the outer layer of the face. Below that the fat, bone and muscle are all changing too.
This lovely lady was relatively new to aesthetics and wanted a more comprehensive rejuvenation without surgery. We decided to do the combination approach using @sofwave.uk to tighten the skin of the face and neck, whilst using HA to restore volume to the fat and bone.
This is her a few months later - her whole face looks tighter, softer, less tired - but in a way that looks completely natural. She is delighted with the result that still looks like her, just a really refreshed version.
What do you think?
HA Fillers are making a comeback! Here are my thoughts on the how and why 👀