Foam Scleortherapy Of Varicose Veins
Foam sclerotherapy consists of injection of small amounts of a sclerosing agent that has been transformed from liquid to foam by a rapid exchange of air and liquid agent between two syringes connected by a small three-way valve.
Foam works better than liquid in sclerotheray of varicose veins. With traditional liquid sclerotherapy, once the sclerosing liquid is injected in a vein, it quickly dilutes with blood, resulting in decreased concentration of sclerosing agent within the lumen of the target vein. Therefore, an effective concentration of sclerosant is not staying in touch with the inner surface of the vein for a sufficient amount of time in many cases. Foam displaces the blood and remains in contact with the inner layer of injected veins for a longer and more effective period. This makes foam sclerotherapy a much more effective treatment than liquid sclerotherapy. Furthermore, with foam there is much less post treatment local pain, discomfort, and pigmentation of the overlying skin. In summary, foam is much more effective and associated with fewer side effects in the treatment of varicose veins. Nowadays, many European pioneers of foam-sclerotherapy prefer foam over surgery, as presented at the latest World Congress on Vein Disease in San Diego in the summer of 2003. Obviously, physicians who lack experience in liquid-sclerotherapy and are not trained in foam-sclerotherapy should not perform sclerotherapy.
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What are the symptoms of varicose veins disease?
In addition to their embarrassing, unsightly appearance, symptoms can include burning, itching, pain, leg fatigue, heaviness, throbbing, ankle swelling, muscle cramps, and even ankle open sores and bleeding. Unfortunately, many physicians do not recognize vein problems as the cause of many of these symptoms.
How is sclerotherapy compared with externally delivered laser, in treatment of superficial reticular and spider veins?
The gold standard and most successful treatment modality is “sclerotherapy”, provided it is done properly. Different laser treatment machines have not been able to offer similar results in comparison to properly done sclerotherapy. It is a fact that experience and knowledge are both necessary elements in performing good sclerotherapy. Many physicians who use laser for treatment of varicose and spider veins, may have attempted to use sclerotherapy on limited occasions and found it to be a difficult procedure. The fact is that generally sclerotherapy can deliver much more effective and better results than many laser procedures, provided it is done in the hands of an experienced and knowledgeable phlebology physician. A good treatment plan, must be based on a thorough initial evaluation and mapping of the sources of reflux/feeder veins in each individual case. Each case may have more than one option for getting rid of their varicose veins.
What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is injection of a tiny amount of a sclerosing solution inside the targeted vein, in an attempt to close the abnormal vein. Normal veins will pick up the flow, the pressure in the veins will be reduced and thus leg circulation will improve. Very small spider veins are treated by liquid sclerotherapy, while medium and larger veins can be treated using foam sclerotherapy more effectively.
Individual Results May Vary
Dr. Khalil Fattahi
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Vein Specialty Medical Clinic
Spider veins are small, irregular, purplish or bluish unsightly vessels. Slightly larger and greenish veins, always feed spider veins. Achieving good results depends on treatment of spider and feeder veins.
Varicose veins always result from abnormal flow of blood in opposite the normal direction. In such cases, there is an incompetence of the one way barriers (valves) between the deep and superficial leg vein systems, leading to abnormal flow of blood from the larger deep veins into the superficial smaller veins and creation of bulging varicose veins that often have a zigzag pattern and cause a variety of symptoms.
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