EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass., June 19 -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved biolitec Inc.'s Endo Laser Vein System (ELVeS -- pronounced "Elvis") laser procedure for the treatment of vericose veins.
biolitec says ELVeS offers an effective alternative to the surgical stripping of veins and that it takes only 45 minutes, leaves no scars and requires only minimal recovery time. ELVeS involves locating the saphenous vein with ultrasound and administering local anesthesia, then a thin, flexible fiber from biolitec's diode laser is introduced into the saphenous vein and laser light is used to seal the vein, eliminating the cause of the varicosity, or swelling.