Description:
Varicose veins are a sign of underlying venous insufficiency and affect around 20-30% of adults. Long saphenous vein insufficiency is the most common form of venous insufficiency in people presenting with symptoms.
Conservative methods such as compression therapy (for example, bandages or stockings) may be considered for patients with small varicose veins. For more complicated cases, the main treatment options are sclerotherapy and/or surgery (such as ligation or stripping). Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins is a variation of established sclerotherapy techniques that use liquid injection. It uses a sclerosant solution that has been transformed into foam by being forcibly mixed with air.
Under local anaesthetic, a needle is inserted into the main affected superficial vein and is monitored using ultrasound imaging. Foam is then injected and monitored. Once the foam has filled the entire main superficial vein, the top end of the vein is depressed to keep the foam in the superficial veins. The foam causes inflammation of the vein wall, obliteration of the vein's lumen and vein occlusion.
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