Masterclass in MOCA at UIP 2018 – 6th Feb 2018

Prof Mark Whiteley is running a masterclass in MOCA – mechanochemical ablation – of varicose veins at the UIP on 6th February 2018. He will be showing the MOCA technique, the science behind how it works and going through the advantages MOCA has over other treatments for varicose veins.

All delegates at the UIP 2018 are welcome.

Masterclass on MOCA – Clarivein – with Prof Mark Whiteley – 6th Feb 2018

MOCA – mechanochemical ablation – of varicose veins.

MOCA is performed using the Clarivein catheter. This unique device is a method for treating varicose veins without using any heat (as is used by laser and radiofrequency) and therefore without requiring multiple local anaesthetic injections along the length of the treated vein.

As with all endovenous techniques, MOCA is performed as a “walk in, walk out” procedure, under local anaesthetic. Using a specialised duplex ultrasound scanner, the very thin device is passed up the vein through a single needle insertion, requiring only one local anaesthetic injection.

The technique uses a combination of a rotating wire to damage the inside of the vein to be treated as well as sclerotherapy to permanently destroy the vein wall. Where as laser and radiofrequency burn the vein, MOCA can end up having the same effect but without the heat.

Some surgeons have tried to use foam sclerotherapy to treat the large truncal veins that feed varicose veins. However, research from The Whiteley Clinic has shown that although foam sclerotherapy is useful for small surface veins, it is not a good option when used in the deeper and larger veins called the saphenous veins. This is because it cannot penetrate the thick vein walls in the saphenous veins (see www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26790396).

MOCA gets around this by damaging the vein wall using the rotating wire, which then allows sclerotherapy to get deeper inside the vein wall. This mechanism was shown in prize-winning research performed at The Whiteley Clinic which is now published (see www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28411705).

Come and see the MOCA Masterclass

If you are attending the UIP in Melbourne this week, come and join us in room 211 at 7 AM on Tuesday 6th February.

At this session, Prof Mark Whiteley will present the technique of performing MOCA, and will then show the basic research that has been performed showing how it can be used effectively. He will show how it differs from endovenous thermal ablation and other techniques that do not use heat such as cyanoacrylate glue and foam sclerotherapy.

The presentation will be 45 minutes long with 15 minutes for questions from the audience.

The session will be chaired by Dr Steve Elias from the United States, who performed the first clinical study in MOCA (clarivein) and Associate Professor Stefania Roberts, from the Victoria Vein Clinic.

Links:

http://uip2018.com/speaker/professor-mark-whiteley/

http://uip2018.com/program-tuesday/