Ulf Thorsten Zierau
Saphenion, Germany
Keynote: J Univer Surg
We report about 7-years results of a prospective comparative study of VenaSeal®-Closure in the treatment of 2250 saphenous veins in 1250 patients. The present research paper sheds light on the advantages and disadvantages and presents the 84-month results of a single-center ambulatory clinical study with prospective design. In the base, all varicose veins should be treated actively. This we can find in nearly all guidelines worldwide. Since 20 years by now, varicosis has been increasingly treated endovenously. Before this, the varicose veins were treated radically with the stripping-method, a 110 years old radical surgery method. At the start, the rather inconvenient VNUS® Closure Plus procedure and the more convenient linear laser procedure were used, and these were followed in 2006/2007 by the bipolar RFITT® catheter, the VNUS® ClosureFast system and the radial laser. Thus, in the course of the last few years, plenty of experience has been gathered with endoluminal therapy, quality criteria have been defined and standards for the different techniques have been developed. In addition, 16 years ago, far from the beaten tracks of radio wave and laser, the development of a fascinatingly simple, yet nevertheless highly effective method of sealing veins-the VenaSeal® closure technique - was initiated. After CE approval had been granted in the autumn of 2011, a number of vein centers in Germany and Europe started using the VenaSeal®-system. Today there is an approval in all countries, also in USA since 2 / 2015. The author has applied VenaSeal™ for the first time in a great saphenous vein on 1st August 2012.
Recent Publications
1. Lawson J, S Gauw, C van Vlijmen, P Pronk, M Gaastra, M Mooij and C Wittens (2013): Sapheon: the solution? Phlebology1:2-9.
2. Min R J, Almeida J I, McLean D J, Madsen M and Raabe R (2012): Novel vein closure procedere using a proprietary cyanoacrylate adhesive: 30-day swine model results. Phlebology 27(8):398-403.
3. Proebstle T M, Vago B, Alm J, Göckeritz O, Lebard C and Pichot O (2008): Treatment of the incompetent great saphenous vein by endovenous radiofrequency powered segmental thermal ablation: first clinical experience. J Vasc Surg 47(1):151-155.
Ulf Thorsten Zierau is the Head of Vascular Surgery at the Charité. After specialist examination in surgery in 1994, he continued the training in the field of vascular surgery, first at the venous center Malente (Mühlenberg Clinic), then at the 2nd University Clinic Cologne. He passed the Vascular Surgery Examination in 1996 and beginning of independent clinical work as a Senior Physician and Head of the Department of Vascular Surgery at the Gransee Hospital. Later, he turned to cathederal medicine; study Stanford University, USA and in the Heart Center Berlin-Buch. He started working in private practice since 1997.
E-mail: dr.zierau@yahoo.de
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