Learn More About ClosureFast™

The ClosureFast™ procedure is an endovenous radiofrequency ablation technique that uses cutting-edge technology to segmentally heat the saphenous vein lining to 120°C, shrink the vein wall, and seal the inner lining closed. Dr. Clint Hayes and his expert team at the Vein Center of North Texas use the ClosureFast™ procedure at the Vein Center of North Texas to eliminate venous insufficiency and restore normal circulation. The end result is resolution of your chronic symptoms and improvement in the appearance of your legs. Give the Vein Center of North Texas a call and book an appointment and start enjoying the benefits of normal venous circulation.

Q: What is the ClosureFast™ Procedure?

A: The ClosureFast™ procedure is an endovenous thermal ablation process that uses radiofrequency (RF) vibration to heat the lining of diseased veins and permanently seal them shut. Dr. Hayes threads a radiofrequency catheter into the vein under local anesthesia. He then heats the lining of the vein as he withdraws the catheter. The skin incision is so small that sutures are not indicated after the catheter is removed. The procedure usually takes around thirty minutes.  It requires only minimal postoperative downtime. Most patients return to work the next day.

The ClosureFast™ catheter segmentally heats the lining of the vein to 120°C for twenty seconds, shrinking the vein wall and sealing the inner lining closed. The body absorbs the ablated diseased saphenous vein over time.

Q: How do you perform the ClosureFast™ procedure?

A: Dr. Hayes performs the ClosureFast™ procedure at the Vein Center of North Texas as an outpatient, office-based procedure. It is completed using a dilute lidocaine tumescent local anesthesia around the diseased vein. Conscious sedation is available if desired. We clean the leg with a standard surgical prep before creating a 1mm incision at the lower leg. Under ultrasound guidance, the ClosureFast™ catheter is positioned within the target vein. The lidocaine tumescent anesthetic is then instilled in the tissues surrounding the vein. The catheter is then activated, heating the lining of the vein as it is withdrawn. After the catheter is removed, a steri-strip tape is applied and sterile compression dressings are placed. 

Q: Is the ClosureFast™ procedure the same as vein stripping?

A: No, not really. 

Vein stripping is a surgical operation invented at the Mayo Clinic in1905. Vein stripping is usually performed in the hospital under a general anesthetic. An incision is made at the groin and another incision is made at the calf. A stripping wire is passed from the calf to the groin and the vein is stripped out using considerable force. The incisions are then sewn or stapled shut. Recovery usually takes weeks to months. Long-term success rates average 30-50%.

The ClosureFast™ procedure radiofrequency technology was FDA approved in ——. It is a minimally-invasive procedure performed in the Vein Center of North Texas under lidocaine local anesthesia and (if you desire) conscious sedation. A ClosureFast™ catheter is positioned within the saphenous vein using a single puncture incision at the lower leg. The catheter is activated, and the vein lining is heated and sealed closed as the catheter is withdrawn and removed. A steri-strip tape is placed on the incision. Recovery generally takes hours to days. Long-term success rates average 90-95% or more. 

Q: How long does the ClosureFast™ procedure take?

A: The ClosureFast™ procedure operative time is usually about 30 minutes at the Vein Center of North Texas. Most patients spend 2-3 hours with us due to pre-op and post-op routines.

Q: What type of anesthesia does the ClosureFast™ require?

A: To protect the surrounding tissues, the ClosureFast™ procedure must be performed using tumescent lidocaine anesthesia. Additional sedation is available in the form of conscious sedation if you’d like.  More than half of the patients at the Vein Center of North Texas request conscious sedation when undergoing the ClosureFast™ procedure. General anesthesia is not required.

Q: What is recovery time after the ClosureFast™ procedure?

A: Patients are up and walking within five to ten minutes after the ClosureFast™ procedure at the Vein Center of North Texas. Most patients can return to work the next day. 

Q: When will my leg symptoms begin to improve after the ClosureFast™ procedure?

A: The ClosureFast™ procedure helps to restore normal circulation as soon as the diseased vein is closed. Most patients begin to notice improvement in their longstanding vein symptoms within a day or two of their procedure. These improvements are most noticeable after the normal soreness and stiffness from the procedure has worn off within in a week or two. These improvements continue over the next several weeks.

Q: If I have circulation problems, don’t I need all the veins I’ve got?

A: Normal circulation requires normally functioning veins. Diseased, refluxing saphenous veins impede normal circulation. Once they dilate up and the valves fail, these veins will never be normal again. If your saphenous veins are dilated and actively refluxing, they’re hurting your circulation, not helping it. Eliminating these veins helps restore normal venous flow.

Q: What happens to the diseased veins after they’ve been ablated?

A: After the veins are ablated, the closed vein will gradually be absorbed by the body. 

Q: Is the ClosureFast™ procedure covered by health insurance?

A:  Just like gallbladder disease or a problem hernia, symptomatic venous insufficiency is a medical condition – not a cosmetic concern. It is therefore covered by Medicare and most reputable health insurers.  

ClosureFast BoneYard:

Using ultrasound guidance

Efficiently treat patients suffering from chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins.

Uniformly heat the inner lining of the vein wall and close the vein from the inside. 

Shrink the vein from the inside out

As soon as the vein is sealed shut, the body instantly reroutes the venous blood to the healthy deep veins, which carry the blood back to the heart.

Sealing the diseased veins shut 

Precisely and permanently 

An anesthetic solution is then delivered to the outside of the diseased vein that anesthetizes the region, protects the surrounding tissues from any heat that escapes the vein, and improves vein wall contact with the catheter to improve heat transfer to the vein wall

Minimally invasive outpatient procedure

Under direct ultrasound guidance

When the catheter is activated,

The catheter segmentally heats the lining of the vein to 120° Celsius for twenty seconds, shrinking the vein wall and sealing the inner lining closed. Over time, the body absorbs the diseased vein.

The ClosureFast procedure is performed at the State-of-the-art Vein Center of North Texas under local anesthesia and conscious sedation and usually takes 20-30 minutes. You should plan on being at the VCNT for most of the morning, as we watch you before and after the procedure

…sealing the diseased vein closed, which immediately re-routes the blood from the diseased superficial, refluxing veins to the healthy deep veins and back to the heart.