Medtronic’s VenaSeal Treatment for Symptomatic Saphenous Incompetence Evaluated in Single-Center Study

October 5, 2021—Five-year outcomes from a single-center evaluation of treatment of incompetent saphenous veins with the VenaSeal (Medtronic) cyanoacrylate ablation method were presented by Morwan Bahi, MBChB, during a late-breaking clinical trials session at the VIVA 2021, the annual Vascular InterVentional Advances meeting held October 4-7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As summarized in a press release from the VIVA Foundation, the investigators conducted a retrospective, observational, single-center study detailing outcomes for all patients with symptomatic lower-limb chronic venous insufficiency treated with VenaSeal for saphenous vein closure with cyanoacrylate ablation between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020. All patients were postoperatively reviewed at 6 weeks, and outcomes were recorded.

The investigators reported that 235 patients matching the study criteria. The average age was 60.5 years, with slight male predominance (55.8%). The majority of patients were New Zealand European (63.8%), followed by Maori and Pacific (31.0%).

The most common indication was venous ulceration (57.9%). Other indications included superficial thrombophlebitis, recurrent cellulitis, varicose vein bleeding, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Bilateral treatment was conducted in 50% of patients. One saphenous vein (greater saphenous vein or small saphenous vein) required treatment in 88% of patients. The most common postprocedure symptom was phlebitis in 49 (21%) patients, which is an expected part of recovery.

Excluding phlebitis, the investigators observed 33 complications, all relatively minor. There were 15 cases of residual varicose veins, nine saphenous nerve neuropraxia cases, six cases of wound cellulitis, and three DVTs, noted to the VIVA press release.