Before the Procedure
Your physician will perform a comprehensive duplex ultrasound mapping of your leg veins to identify all incompetent segments. No special preparation is required — you should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and arrange a ride home, though most patients are able to drive themselves.
Unlike thermal ablation procedures, you do not need to stop blood thinners or make dietary changes before VenaBlock®.
Step 1: Positioning and Sterile Preparation
You will lie on a treatment table. The physician will clean and drape the leg. Duplex ultrasound is used to identify the optimal puncture site — typically at or below the knee for GSV treatment.
Step 2: Single Local Anesthetic Injection
A small amount of local anesthetic is injected only at the needle entry point. This is the only injection you will receive. There are no further anesthetic injections along the vein — a major advantage over laser and radiofrequency procedures, which require 30–80 injections of tumescent fluid.
Step 3: Catheter Placement
A small-caliber VenaBlock® catheter is introduced through the puncture site and advanced under continuous ultrasound guidance to a point approximately 5 cm from the saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction.
Step 4: Adhesive Delivery
The physician slowly withdraws the catheter while delivering small, precise pulses of cyanoacrylate adhesive. External compression is applied at each injection point to ensure complete wall contact and optimal sealing. The entire vein is treated from junction to puncture site.
Approximately 1.2 ml of adhesive is used per vein — a precise, minimal amount sufficient for complete closure.
Step 5: Completion
The catheter is removed. No sutures are required — only a small adhesive bandage over the puncture site. A brief ultrasound check confirms immediate vein closure.
After the Procedure
You can walk and resume normal activities within 2 hours. No compression stockings are required, though some physicians recommend them for comfort in the first few days. Avoid strenuous exercise and hot baths for 1 week.
Follow-Up
A duplex ultrasound follow-up is typically scheduled at 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year to confirm durable vein closure and assess for any residual varicosities requiring additional treatment.