Endovenous laser treatment of the long saphenous vein
Summary
The Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee (IPAC) reconsidered this procedure in light of comments received during the initial consultation in May 2003. As a result, NICE issued a second consultation document about its safety and efficacy.
NICE has now issued full guidance to the NHS is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on endovenous laser treatment of the long saphenous vein.
Description
Under ultrasound guidance and local anaesthesia, a catheter is placed into the long saphenous vein. A laser fibre is passed through it and positioned below the saphenofemoral junction.
An anaesthetic agent is then injected, and the fibre is slowly withdrawn while energy from a diode laser (810 or 940 nm wavelength) is applied in short pulses. This is repeated along the entire length of the vein until the long saphenous vein is closed from the saphenofemoral junction to the point of access.
OPCS code:
L88.1 Percutaneous transluminal laser ablation of long saphenous vein
Y53.2 Approach to organ under ultrasonic control
Note:L88.3 Percutaneous transluminal laser ablation of varicose vein of leg NEC can be assigned if this is on a different vein and not the long saphenous vein.
The NHS Classifications Service of NHS Connecting for Health is the central definitive source for clinical coding guidance and determines the coding standards associated with the classifications (OPCS-4 and ICD-10) to be used across the NHS. The NHS Classifications Service and NICE work collaboratively to ensure the most appropriate classification codes are provided. www.connectingforhealth.co.uk/clinicalcoding
Details
Surgical procedures
Contact details:
(for general enquiries or comments)
(for procedure specific enquiries or comments)
ip@nice.org.uk
Interventional Procedures Programme
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NA
