Laser technology was introduced into the field of surgery and medicine in the late nineteen-seventies in many specialties, with unquestionable benefits for both surgeons and patients.
As far as concerns vascular surgery, the applicability of laser technology for the treatment of arteries was first tried out in the late nineteen-eighties.
The first experiences of endovenous laser techniques date back to the early nineteen-nineties. Towards the end of the millennium, a new and exciting area of application appeared: Endovascular Surgery.

Endovenous Laser Milestones

1989 - Initial experiences of the application of laser procedures for treating incontinence of the great saphenous vein (Puglisi et al.).

1996 - First papers at congresses and publications on the use of laser energy in endovenous applications.
The specialised industry promoted an international multi-centre study for standardising the great saphenous vein procedure.

1998 - Application of laser technology to the treatment of phlebostatic ulcers (Magi et al.).

2001 - The FDA approved the endovenous surgical procedure for the great saphenous vein with percutaneous knee-height access.
Official presentation at the 14th UIP World Congress - Rome.
The first certified structures began to apply the procedure.
Start of the first experiences of endovenous treatment of vascular malformations and haemorrhoids.

2002 - Changes in the materials and implementation of the kit for the ELVeS procedure.
Start-up of endovenous laser procedures for treating collateral and reticular veins.
Approval of the ELVeS™ System - Endo Laser Vein System - a set of endovenous laser procedures for treating venous incontinence and its effects.

2003 - First instances of endovenous treatment of male varicocele. In-depth experiences with the ELVeS™ kit for the combined treatment of venous ulcers (WHELL™).

Nowadays, after years of international experience, the endovenous laser system is the standardised mini-invasive answer for treating many venous diseases.
Endovenous laser procedures are currently used on a daily basis in day surgeries and out-patient departments by an ever increasing number of specialists all over the world.
A working group consisting of the leading international users of the endovenous laser method formed spontaneously in December 2004, as a response to the great demand for spreading and standardisation of this method.

The parties attending the first meeting (Paris, January 2005)., as the originators of the first publication of the joint registry, form the International Board
The Board, co-ordinated by an Operational Secretariat, is currently the international network with the most representative experiences.

In addition, as a whole, the working group encourages the membership of anyone using the method according to scientifically validated standards in an open and transparent manner.
In other words, the IEWG consists of the Board and the Members.
Lastly, the contributions of the members of the working group, in terms of homogeneous case histories, form the IEWG International Register, a data bank aimed at the circulation and scientific evaluation of endovenous laser treatments.

Starting in 2002, the members of the Board have developed numerous teaching and training projects targeting specialists. These projects have involved a large number of different professional profiles for over 500 workshops and live surgery days.