Covidien has released results from a prospective, multicenter study using the VNUS ClosureFAST catheter, which demonstrated clinical efficacy and improvement in quality of life for patients.

The ClosureFAST catheter is an endovenous radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter designed to heat and close diseased veins, the major underlying cause of varicose veins.

Alan Dietzek, chief of Vascular Surgery, and the Linda and Stephen Cohen chair in Vascular Surgery at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, presented three-year follow-up results of patients treated with the ClosureFAST catheter from a study conducted at 13 centers in the US and Europe.

Two-hundred sixty-seven greater saphenous veins were evaluated at the follow-up and demonstrated a 93% occlusion rate using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

In addition to clinical efficacy, the study has shown a venous clinical severity score reduction at three-year follow up, which indicates an improvement in patients’ relief of symptoms, such as pain or inflammation, from the baseline score at time of treatment.

The results were consistent with those presented earlier for the seven European study sites by Thomas Proebstle of the Department of Dermatology, University of Mainz, Germany, and the University of Pécs, Hungary, in his presentation titled, ‘Three Year Follow-Up After Radiofrequency Segmental Thermal Ablation of Great Saphenous Veins.’

Covidien Vascular Therapies president Joe Woody said that the study results continue to support and strengthen clinicians’ confidence in the ClosureFAST technology and its effectiveness in treating millions of venous insufficiency patients who suffer from varicose veins.

Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies.