Radiofrequency Vein Ablation

Minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation to permanently close diseased great saphenous or small saphenous veins causing varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. Performed in-office under local anesthesia by Dr. David D. Shin, a board-certified vascular surgeon with over 10,000 saphenous ablations. A thin catheter is inserted under ultrasound guidance and delivers controlled thermal energy along the vein wall, sealing it shut so blood reroutes through healthy veins. No general anesthesia, no hospital stay, and most patients walk out and return to normal activity the same day.

Radiofrequency vein ablation (RFA) at Houston Vein Specialists is a catheter-based thermal treatment that permanently eliminates the underlying cause of varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency — diseased superficial veins that have lost their ability to return blood efficiently to the heart. Unlike older stripping procedures that required general anesthesia and a hospital stay, RFA is performed entirely in-office under tumescent local anesthesia and takes approximately 30 minutes per vein segment. Dr. David D. Shin, Medical Director and board-certified in both General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, has performed more than 10,000 saphenous vein ablations. His Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) and Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation (RPVI) credentials mean that duplex ultrasound mapping — the essential step for identifying which veins to treat and confirming closure after treatment — is performed in-house by the treating physician, not outsourced to a separate imaging facility. The procedure begins with ultrasound-guided mapping to mark the diseased vein segment. Tumescent local anesthetic is infiltrated around the vein to numb the area and compress the vein around the catheter. The radiofrequency catheter is then advanced to the top of the refluxing segment, and thermal energy is delivered in controlled increments as the catheter is withdrawn, heating the vein wall to approximately 120°C and causing immediate collagen contraction and permanent closure. The treated vein is absorbed by the body over the following weeks. Conditions treated include great saphenous vein reflux (the most common cause of varicose veins), small saphenous vein reflux, and perforator vein incompetence contributing to leg ulcers or severe skin changes. The clinic also treats secondary complications of venous insufficiency including leg pigmentation (venous stasis dermatitis), leg ulcers, chronic leg swelling and edema, and the aching, heaviness, and cramping that accompany prolonged venous hypertension. Most major insurance plans cover RFA when venous reflux has been documented by duplex ultrasound and conservative management (compression stockings for 6–12 weeks) has been trialled. Houston Vein Specialists holds IAC accreditation as both a Vascular Testing Center and a Vein Center, meeting the national standards required by most insurers for covered vein treatment.