Varicose veins can now be treated with innovative technology in Vitebsk

The first such operation was recently performed on a young man, a 34-year-old worker at one of the city's enterprises. Candidate of Medical Sciences, Vice-Rector of VGMU for Research Work **Sergey Sushkov** and Head of the Operating Room of the specialized center **Konstantin Tsyplakov** were at the operating table. The intervention took very little time. Through a single puncture, surgeons inserted the necessary instrument into the patient's problematic vein and, under ultrasound guidance, used a special umbrella-shaped device to destroy the inner layer of the vein damaged by varicose veins. Then, the result was fixed by introducing a special chemical preparation into it. As soon as it filled the vein in the form of a foam, blood flow through it stopped, which was clearly visible on the monitor.

The patient, who received only one cubic centimeter of lidocaine for comfort during the intervention, winced only when the doctor removed the instrument. The surgeons shook hands. The operation, without blood and serious anesthesia, was completed. The nurse only had to apply an elastic bandage. And the patient can confidently stand up, return home to an active life, freed from his ailment. This time, however, the young man was not discharged immediately, as the new technique was being tested for the first time, and he remained under medical observation for some time. In the future, when it is put into practice, a semi-outpatient treatment option will be used. No costs for inpatient postoperative period or rehabilitation will be required.

After the operation, we spoke with Sergey Sushkov, who heads the practical phlebology center operating on the basis of the surgical department of the clinic. Sergey Albertovich did not hide his satisfaction:

— Another new varicose vein treatment technology has been implemented, and at first impression, I liked it very much. Polish colleagues developed this method. In Minsk, the first similar operation this year was performed by the head of the department of emergency surgery of BelMAPO, Doctor of Medical Sciences Vladimir Khryshchanovich. We looked at it and realized that we also needed to have it in our arsenal. Laser obliteration of varicose veins is widely known to patients. We are the only ones in Vitebsk who perform radiofrequency ablation. However, in this case, to exclude the vein from blood flow, it is necessary to fill it with an anesthetic and a cold solution, and there is always a risk of damage due to the heating of surrounding tissues. But mechanochemical obliteration does not involve thermal effects.

The new method, according to Sergey Albertovich, will be used not instead of, but alongside previously mastered innovative treatment methods. Doctors always approach the choice of intervention individually, based on the results of a thorough examination and study of anatomy, minimizing risks for each patient. But the promise of the new method is that it is applicable in cases where laser treatment is impossible due to certain anatomical features. The probability of recurrence of varicose veins is also lower in this case. However, despite all its insidious nature, people who have undergone surgical treatment, as a rule, follow the doctors' recommendations to prevent new problems. In any case, it should be remembered that such gentle methods can only help people with uncomplicated forms of lower limb varicose veins. Specialists should be consulted in the early stages. And when it comes to trophic ulcers, a scalpel will be necessary.

"Vitbichi".