Can vena saphena magna and parva be ablated in one procedure?

can vena saphena magna and parva be ablated in one procedure? Or do they need to be treated separately?

Answers from doctors (5)


Vein Specialties of St. Louis

Published on Jul 07, 2017

I proceed with caution and do the long saphenous vein (magna) first and then a week later treat the short saphenous (parva), especially if there are varicosities (bulging large veins on the surface). These I remove through tiny punctures. I find doing all of these procedures in one session is too much local anesthetic, but also increases risk of complications and difficulty in positioning the patient intra-operatively.

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Answered by Vein Specialties of St. Louis

I proceed with caution and do the long saphenous vein (magna) first and then a week later treat the short saphenous (parva), especially if there are varicosities (bulging large veins on the surface). These I remove through tiny punctures. I find doing all of these procedures in one session is too much local anesthetic, but also increases risk of complications and difficulty in positioning the patient intra-operatively.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Heart and Vein Center

Published on Jan 22, 2012

You must a in the medical field and coming from Europe. Technically they could be done in one procedure. Few problems are that amount of lidocaine that might be needed for the 2 ablation might exceed the safety limits. Another consideration is that to ablate the great saphenous ("saphena magna") the patient is supine on the table and for the small saphenous vein ("saphena parva") needs to be prone (on the belly), that creates the need to re-preap the legs in many instances.
Rodolfo D. Farhy, MD, FACC, FAHA

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Answered by Heart and Vein Center

You must a in the medical field and coming from Europe. Technically they could be done in one procedure. Few problems are that amount of lidocaine that might be needed for the 2 ablation might exceed the safety limits. Another consideration is that to ablate the great saphenous ("saphena magna") the patient is supine on the table and for the small saphenous vein ("saphena parva") needs to be prone (on the belly), that creates the need to re-preap the legs in many instances.
Rodolfo D. Farhy, MD, FACC, FAHA

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Advanced Vein Center

Published on Jan 19, 2012

I am not sure of your terminology. The Great, or greater or large saphenous
vein runs from ankle to groin. The small or lesser saphenous vein runs from
the ankle to the back of the knee. If this is what you mean then yes they
can be treated together although because of intersaphenous connections
occasionally treating the great saphenous vein can normalize flow in the
small saphenous vein.

Bruce R Hoyle MD

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Answered by Advanced Vein Center

I am not sure of your terminology. The Great, or greater or large saphenous
vein runs from ankle to groin. The small or lesser saphenous vein runs from
the ankle to the back of the knee. If this is what you mean then yes they
can be treated together although because of intersaphenous connections
occasionally treating the great saphenous vein can normalize flow in the
small saphenous vein.

Bruce R Hoyle MD

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Vanish Vein and Laser Center

Published on Jan 18, 2012

The great and small saphenous veins can be ablated in one procedure but there are many reasons to do them separately and most physicians do them separately. Doing them together prolongs the length of the procedure, necessitates turning the patient and often times duplicating the sterile material used which increases the cost of the procedure, much more tumescent anesthesia is used which can increase the risk of the local anesthesia, and the longer the procedure under local anesthesia, the less well it is tolerated by the patient.

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Answered by Vanish Vein and Laser Center

The great and small saphenous veins can be ablated in one procedure but there are many reasons to do them separately and most physicians do them separately. Doing them together prolongs the length of the procedure, necessitates turning the patient and often times duplicating the sterile material used which increases the cost of the procedure, much more tumescent anesthesia is used which can increase the risk of the local anesthesia, and the longer the procedure under local anesthesia, the less well it is tolerated by the patient.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


Angelo N. Makris MD

Published on Jan 18, 2012

Theoretically, yes, but it is difficult to position and prep to have it done at one sitting. Therefore, most physicians treat them at different sittings.

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Answered by Angelo N. Makris MD

Theoretically, yes, but it is difficult to position and prep to have it done at one sitting. Therefore, most physicians treat them at different sittings.

Published on Jul 11, 2012


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