Radiofrequency ablation catheter treats diseased leg veins faster
7 May 2007 San Jose, USA. VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNUS)
, has launched the VNUS ClosureFAST catheter, an endovenous radiofrequency
(RF) ablation catheter that is designed to heat, shrink and close diseased
saphenous veins (large leg veins) in three to five minutes. VNUS claims
treatment is as fast as laser ablation devices and causes minimal pain and
bruising. The entire procedure, from insertion of the catheter to removal,
can be completed in approximately 16 minutes — less than half the time
required for previous RF-based procedures.
Since the ClosureFAST catheter received FDA clearance in August 2006,
more than 150 physicians in the US and Europe have used the device, and it
is now in general distribution to physicians. "The new ClosureFAST
catheter has cut our vein closure procedure time considerably, and it
reduces my actual pullback time through the vein from 20 minutes to three,"
said Dr. Daniel Monahan, director of the Vein Surgery & Treatment Center of
Northern California in Roseville, California. "The increased efficiency
makes the procedure less tedious, which is easier on me and delights the
patients.'" "The ClosureFast catheter offers a significant change in the
treatment of patients with venous disease," said Dr. Garth Rosenberg of
Maryland Surgical Care in Frederick, Maryland. "In the cases I have
performed to date, I have observed very high patient satisfaction, because
treatment is completed so quickly and effectively. Venous disease is
prevalent and relatively undertreated, and I see the ClosureFast catheter as
having the potential to help a large group of patients." "We're
tremendously pleased with the enthusiastic reception for ClosureFAST in the
medical community," said Brian E. Farley, president and CEO of VNUS. "The
dozens of physicians who have tested the device over the past year have
reported very high patient satisfaction with the procedure, and their
feedback has been overwhelmingly positive." To top
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