What are VenaSeal & Clarivein?

What are venous seal and clarivein? These are both new technologies that are around for closing either the great saphenous vein or the small saphenous vein, which is the main vein behind the knee. Both techniques involve insertion of a catheter so that either glue or a chemical detergent can be inserted into the vein that causes irritation to the vein and closing. If we take for example VenaSeal, this is basically a histoacryl glue that is inserted via a long catheter under ultrasound control. It does not require any tuminescent anesthesia, it does just require a little bit of local anesthetic where the initial needle is put in. This procedure takes around about 15 to 20 minutes and the patient then is ready to go home. Clarivane is a similar technology, does not require any other local anesthetic other than at the site of insertion of the needle and here a catheter is pulled back which vibrates while a chemical is being administered and the vibrating catheter damages the vein wall and the chemical then gets into the deeper parts of the vein wall and causes the vein wall to shrink and close off. Hence both of these techniques are undoubtedly comparable and most research studies show that the benefits to patients are exactly the same. The important thing is to discuss with your clinician what is the most appropriate intervention for you. If you are going to have a glue treatment it is very important that you let your clinician know whether you have any allergies to glue or if you are female you have any problems using false eyelashes because this might suggest that you have a sensitivity to glue and therefore the glue option may not be the best one for you.