Medical informations about varicose veins treatment with CHIVA method

The most diffused, but not more efficient, varicose vein treatments include saphenous ablation or stripping. Contrarily, the CHIVA treatment preserves the saphenous vein and its function. Moreover, the advantages of the CHIVA treatment include:

1. Superior cosmetic results compared to other methods.
2. If necessary, the saphenous vein can be used in a life-saving procedure such as a heart by-pass even if it is diseased.
3. Minore ricomparsa di vene varicose a distanza di 10 anni dall’intervento CHIVA
4. A minor recurrence of varicose veins 10 years after surgery with the CHIVA treatment.
5. Surgery is performed with local anesthetic, there is no post-operative pain or trauma to the surrounding tissues. Surgery lasts about 30 minutes, the patient is able to walk right after surgery, and can return home within hours of surgery.
6. The saphenous vein is vitally important if a deep vein becomes obstructed, like in case of thrombosis or trauma.

The CHIVA treatment was first elaborated by Doctor Claude Franceschi in Paris in 1988. CHIVA is a French acronym that means Conservative Hemodynamic Venous Insufficiency Ambulatory (outpatient) Treatment.

• Conservative: because it does not remove or ablate the saphenous vein.
• Hemodynamic: because it re-establishes a correct blood flow in the saphenous vein.
• Venous Insufficiency: because CHIVA treats varicose veins as well as other venous disorders where other treatments are useless or harmful.
• Ambulatory (outpatient): because it is performed with local anesthetic, is brief, and allows the patient to return home walking, shortly after surgery.

The CHIVA treatment only gives exceptional results if performed by an experienced phlebologist. CHIVA is a treatment strategy that must be adapted to the patient’s varicose veins and requires an accurate venous ultrasound mapping. The CHIVA outcome depends on the phlebologist's sensibility when choosing the best strategy for each individual clinical case. Contrarily, ablation methods whose only purpose is to eliminate the saphenous vein apply a standard protocol that is repeated for each patient.

The saphenous vein can be used as an arterial by-pass in place of synthetic materials. This gives better results in both heart by-pass and in lower leg by-pass surgery. What ablation method supporters say is not true. Even if the saphenous vein is diseased, it can still be used in by-pass surgery. The absence of valves is an advantage, because there are no valves in the arteries as is confirmed by scientific literature.

A complete varicose vein mapping is performed during the first examination. This allows the type of conservative strategy treatment that will be performed to be defined. A new venous mapping is carried out immediately before surgery and this time, the points where the ligations will be made are marked on the skin. The surgeon who will perform surgery does the venous mapping. Once mapping is finished, the patient is accompanied into the operating room where a local anesthetic is only injected into the marked points. Once surgery is completed, the patient can walk normally, does not need to wear an elastic stocking, or be bandaged up to the thigh. Stitches are removed a week later and an ultrasound venous mapping is repeated. During this period, the patient does not need to be medicated at home.