EVLT — Endovenous Laser Therapy for Varicose Veins

EVLT (endovenous laser therapy) at ILK is performed by prim. MUDr. Petr Pták, the clinic's vascular surgeon, as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia. A laser fibre is inserted from the groin or popliteal access point into the varicose vein under ultrasound guidance; laser energy delivered through the fibre thermally destroys the vein wall as it is withdrawn, causing the vessel to seal and be reabsorbed over the following weeks. EVLT is the principal alternative to surgical vein stripping for great saphenous vein incompetence and avoids the general anaesthesia and longer recovery associated with traditional surgery. The all-in price of 21,000 Kč includes the surgery, dressings, and post-operative follow-up.

Endovenous laser therapy at ILK is a minimally invasive vascular surgical procedure in which thermal energy is delivered directly to the inner wall of a varicose vein to permanently close it. The procedure is led by prim. MUDr. Petr Pták, ILK's specialist vascular surgeon. Under local tumescent anaesthesia injected around the vein, a thin laser fibre is introduced percutaneously (through the skin via a small puncture) and advanced through the diseased vein segment under ultrasound imaging guidance. The tumescent fluid serves a dual purpose: it provides anaesthesia along the vein, and its volume compresses the surrounding tissue around the vein, protecting the skin and perivenous structures from thermal spread. As the laser is activated and the fibre slowly withdrawn, laser energy — transmitted through the fibre tip — contacts the vein intima and generates local heat sufficient to denature the vessel wall proteins, causing immediate vessel contraction and occlusion. The body's natural inflammatory response over the subsequent weeks reabsorbs the occluded vein segment. Because the treated vein is sealed rather than stripped, the blood is rerouted through competent neighbouring vessels, reducing venous pressure and improving circulation in the lower limb. Post-procedure, a compression bandage is applied immediately and worn for 1 week to support healing and prevent recanalization. EVLT is suitable for patients with great saphenous vein or small saphenous vein reflux — the underlying pathology in the majority of lower limb varicose veins — and for those who prefer to avoid general anaesthesia. A pre-operative duplex ultrasound assessment (1,000 Kč) is required to map the vein anatomy and identify the incompetent segment length before surgery. The full cost including surgery, dressings, and post-operative follow-up is 21,000 Kč.