Jain Institute of Vascular Sciences (JIVAS), a unit of Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital has invested Rs 60 lakh in equipment to treat venous disorders. As the only dedicated facility in Karnataka to treat all types of venous problems under one roof, JIVAS has also opened the Centre for Venous Disorders to treat varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, venous malformations, venous valvular disorders, deep venous thrombosis, disorders of major and portal veins.

The Centre is now focusing on day care surgery, which is economical in terms of time and cost to treat venous disorder cases that affect a large section of working people.

With its new ELVeS Laser System from Biolite, Germany, for Rs. 12 lakh, the Centre can now perform Endovenous Laser Ablation, a new modality of treatment which is a minimally invasive procedure done under local anaesthesia unlike regular open surgery for varicose veins. The laser fibre is introduced though a single small incision into the varicose vein and the laser is fired at regular intervals to collapse the varicose completely. A GE Logic Notebook which is a lap top based Doppler ultrasound machine is used during the laser ablation.

To treat deep vein thrombosis of major and portal veins, the Centre has installed the Intermittent Pneumatic Compression manufactured by Centromed. This multi chambered device pushes the fluid from the foot, leg and thigh back to the venous system.

There is also a transcutaneous oxygen and pressure monitor manufactured by Phillips which is used to measure partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide under the skin to predict wound healing and evaluate the result of vascular procedures.

Procedures like sequential compression therapy helps to decrease oedema from chronic venous insufficiency. To control acute venous inflammatory reactions, injection sclerotherapy is used. In the case of badly damaged skin in high risk patients, SEPS (sub-fascial endoscopic perforator surgery) similar to laproscopy allows faster recovery for chronic conditions of arterial disease and ulcers.

"Venous disorders are affecting 3 to 5 percent of Indians and 10 percent of suffer from varicose veins. The disorders are annoying and troublesome to patients so it is vital to prevent its progression through early diagnosis. There is low awareness and no importance given to leg attack in India. The country needs a comprehensive treatment centre like JIVAS to help control the problem as venous disorders cannot be prevented in certain professions which call for long hours of being on one's feet," Dr. KR Suresh, director and consultant, vascular surgeon, JIVAS told Pharmabiz.com

The four-year-old JIVAS, which is the erstwhile department of Vascular, and Endovascular Surgery at the Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital have been performing peripheral endovascular interventions like angioplasty and stenting. With diabetics being the major cause of vascular disorders the Institute has opened a Diabetic Foot Clinic to prevent peripheral vascular diseases ad critical limb Ischemia.

JIVAS is already hooked to Narayana Hrudayalaya's telemedicine link via ISRO network and has chalked out plans to offer services to rural areas as incidence of venous disorders are high in the region due to ignorance.