TriVex System Advanced Varicose Vein Treatment

The TriVex System offers new, safer, more effective treatment to people who suffer from Varicose Veins. It was developed by Smith & Nephew, Inc., Endoscopy Division, in conjunction with, a leading general surgeon.

Many patients resist treating their varicose veins because they are afraid of the pain and recuperative time involved with surgery. The Trivex System offers patients a minimally invasive treatment that lets them walk out of the hospital with few scars and be virtually pain-free within a couple of weeks.

The TriVex System is designed for use during a patented, clinically tested surgical technique for varicose vein removal called transilluminated power phlebectomy. (Transilluminated means that light is passed through the skin and phlebectomy is the medical term for vein removal.) In this procedure, the surgeon views the vein using a transilluminating light and removes it with a small powered surgical device.

While traditional varicose vein surgery is a "blind procedure," meaning that surgeons cannot always see the vein or confirm removal, The TriVex System's unique illumination feature allows the surgeon to quickly and accurately target and remove the vein and then visually confirm its complete extraction. This new process makes varicose vein removal more effective, complete and less traumatic for patients, by reducing the number of incisions required to perform the procedure and the duration of the surgery. Studies suggest that this method not only reduces the pain associated with varicose vein removal but also reduces the potential post-operative infection.

The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and usually takes less than an hour. In one study comparing results from minimally-invasive surgery to those obtained with the older technique of hook phlebectomy, the minimally-invasive procedure cut operating time in half, reduced the number of incisions by 50 to 75 percent, required less anesthesia and caused less post-operative pain than the older sugery.

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