What is Foam Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins?

What are the Varicose Veins?

Veins are the blood carrying channels which carry impure blood from the limbs towards the heart and lungs. These veins have unidirectional valves which help in carrying the blood towards the heart and lungs. Failure or weakening of these valves will result in reversal of blood flow into the limb veins. There are two types of veins in the limbs, superficial veins which are situated underneath the skin and deep veins which are situated within the muscles. Superficial venous system  of the lower limbs fail to function most commonly in patients who stand or sit for long hours and patients who are obese,this will lead to reversal of blood flow back into these superficial  veins and result in varicose veins. Reflux into the main trunk of superficial venous system called Great Sephanous Vein (GSV) and Small Sephanous Vein (SSV) lead to its dilatation and pooling of impure blood in the legs and over a period of time multiple small tributaries joining GSV and SSV open up resulting in visible superficial varicosities.

What is Foam Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins?

Foam sclerotherapy is one of the daycare procedures which can be done in a OP setting to treat superficial varicosities or reticular veins  located just underneath the skin where interventional radiologist under all aseptic precautions will inject a solution called sclerosant  (sodium tetradecyl sulphate) and polydoconol mixed with room air to make it into a foam. The vein to be treated is identified using ultrasound and a butterfly needle is placed into the vein under ultrasound guidance through which sclerosant is injected into the varicose veins. This sclerosant scars the superficial varicosities and causes it to collapse over a period of time.

Why is it injected in the foam form?

Sclerosant is normally in a fluid form, it is mixed with room air to make it into a foam which has a consistency of shaving foam, and it is visible via ultrasound and can be easily tracked and guided to the source of the problematic vein. The sclerosing foam becomes less diluted than liquid when injected into the vein, allowing the solution to come into contact with the entire vein wall. As a result, less solution can be used to achieve an optimal result. The medicine causes the problematic vein to shrink up or sclerose

Is Foam sclerotherapy a painful procedure?

oam sclerotherapy is done using a small butterfly needle which is of 22-23 G .When sclerosant is injected into the veins,there will be very minimal burning pain which lasts for a few seconds depending on the patients pain threshold.

At Maven Medical Center we have multiple treatment options for Varicose Veins Treatment including EVLT,RFA,MWA,Venaseal and MOCA.

We are the first center to introduce Microwave Ablation in India for the treatment of varicose veins and tumors.

Dr Rajesh Kumar Enagala ,
Interventional Radiologist, Maven Medical Center