In addition to being the first and only practice in Alabama to use Venaseal technology, Birmingham Heart Clinic (BHC')'s Vein Center was recently named a Center of Excellence for the closure system. BHC is now being utilized as a training site for professionals from several states.

The VenaSeal™ closure system reduces discomfort and recovery time for patients. The VenaSeal™ closure system is a cyanoacrylate-based medical adhesive for the closure of greater and lesser saphenous veins in the legs. This is the only non-tumescent, non-thermal, and non-sclerosant procedure where adhesive is delivered endovenously to close the vein, which eliminates the risk of nerve injury when treating the small saphenous vein. The procedure is administered without the use of tumescent anesthesia, meaning only one needle stick is needed to numb the area. It also eliminates the need for post-procedure compression stockings, and reduces post-procedure pain and bruising.

"This is a unique procedure that is much more comfortable for patients than traditional treatment methods for venous disease," Robert Foster, MD said.

The VenaSeal procedure is done under ultrasound guidance with the patient draped in the usual sterile fashion like the radiofrequency ablation procedure, except it is non-thermal and non-tumescent. There is one access needle stick site in the lower leg. Once access is achieved, the introducer/dilator and catheter is advanced toward the sapheno-femoral junction, compression is applied to the area, and the physician injects the VenaSeal directly into the vein.