Treatments for Veins and Varicose Veins - RFiTT® - Radiofrequency Ablation of Varicose Veins
Until recently, the only alternatives generally available to close the veins with heat (called thermoablation) were either laser (EVLA) all radio-frequency electricity (VNUS Closure® and Closure® FAST™).
In 2007 reports of a new radio frequency method for closing the veins very similar to the original VNUS Closure®started appearing. This technique is called RFiTT®.
As with the EVLA and VNUS techniques, RFiTT®is a catheter that is passed into the vein to be treated using a needle under local anaesthetic, and under ultrasound control to ensure it is in exactly the right place.
Just like VNUS Closure®, a radio frequency electric current passes between two electrodes at the end of the catheter, heating the vein wall and destroying it.
Mark Whiteley explains about Radiofrequency Ablation of Varicose Veins
The RFiTT® device passes a great deal of energy very quickly into the vein wall, and the early results suggest that the procedure can therefore be performed very quickly.
However, there is a theoretical concern regarding whether sufficient energy is being passed into the vein wall to permanently destroy the vein as with EVLA, VNUS Closure® and Closure® FAST™. All of these techniques put about 60 to 80 J per centimetre into the vein and have shown complete closure and destruction of the vein at this level.
However RFiTT® only puts 20 J per centimetre into the vein - either meaning they have developed a much more efficient technique for destroying the same amount of tissue - or that the vein is not completely destroyed and might open again in the future.
Recent development work that we have performed at The Whiteley Clinic in 2009 and early 2010 has allowed us to overcome this problem. We have now developed a treatment process allowing us to use RFiTT to close the great Saphenous Vein and Small Saphenous Veins successfully with virtually no pain.
In addition to its use in the Great Saphenous Vein, we have already developed its use in the TRLOP procedure. The RFiTT® is now our preferred method of treating perforators using the TRLOP technique.
