What is Endovenous Thermal Ablation (EVTA)?
Endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) is a minimally invasive, image-guided therapy used to treat varicose veins, which can cause leg pain, swelling, skin irritation and vein inflammation. During EVTA, heat energy damages the vein walls, shrinking them and closing the faulty vein so the blood cannot flow through it. This eliminates vein bulging at its source. After treatment, the blood in the faulty veins will be diverted to the many normal veins in the leg.
EVTA typically takes less than one hour.
How to Prepare for EVTA
- Pre-Admission Testing - We will schedule an appointment for you. We may also draw blood to check various readings.
- When to Arrive - Arrival time varies according to procedure. We will tell you what time to arrive when you make your appointment.
- Clothing - We recommend wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for EVTA. We may ask you to change into a hospital gown during the procedure.
- Eating - Please do not eat solid foods, candy or gum after 10 pm on the night before your procedure. We may need to reschedule your procedure if you do.
- Drinking - Please drink only clear liquids after 10 pm on the night before your procedure. Stay hydrated by drinking one or two tall glasses every one to two hours while you are awake. Please stop drinking anything three hours before your procedure.
- Medications - Please take your regularly scheduled medications with a sip of water. If you are currently taking any anti-coagulation medications, such as Coumadin®, Eliquis® or Plavix®, please call your referring physician for holding instructions at least five days before your procedure.
What Happens After EVTA?
We encourage you to walk immediately after the procedure. You can immediately resume your normal daily activities but we recommend avoiding rigorous activities, such as gym workouts. You may experience minor soreness and bruising. You can treat any discomfort with over-the-counter, non-aspirin pain relievers as needed.