Foam sclerotherapy for the treatment of varicose veins

Treatment of venous insufficiency with liquid sclerotherapy is considered by some to be an unfulfilled promise. It was heralded in the first half of the last century to be a replacement for surgery, but as recurrences of varicose veins appeared in limbs treated with injection techniques, surgery reappeared and was dominant in the last half of the century. Just as saphenous stripping was proved to be superior to proximal ligation, both were replaced by use of electromagnetic energy, such as radiofrequency and laser venous ablation, as a means of taking the saphenous veins out of the circulation. Now reports of recurrent varices in 20 to 50% of operated cases are making some physicians look to alternatives in treating varicose veins. Foam sclerotherapy must be looked upon as an entirely new method of treatment. It is useful in all types of varices and is proven to be safe, simple, cheap, reliable, and repeatable.     

泡沫硬化剂注射联合TriVex系统治疗下肢静脉曲张的临床分析

目的探讨分析泡沫硬化剂注射联合TriVex系统治疗下肢静脉曲张的手术方法、技巧及疗效。方法纳入2014年10月至2016年4月在中山大学附属东华医院血管外科就诊的152例下肢静脉曲张患者,应用泡沫硬化剂注射联合TriVex系统进行治疗,评估治疗术后症状缓解,局部术区情况以及并发症发生率。结果对152例220条患肢采用大隐静脉主干高位结扎抽剥后泡沫硬化剂注射联合TriVex系统透光旋切术治疗静脉曲张患者,术后下肢明显的曲张畸形静脉消失,无一例患者出现复发,下肢酸胀、乏力等临床症状缓解,溃疡创面愈合。并发症主要是隐神经损伤、皮下硬结、血肿形成、软组织感染、深静脉血栓。结论大隐静脉高位结扎抽剥后泡沫硬化剂注射联合TriVex系统透光旋切术治疗下肢静脉曲张疗效显著,具有切口小、并发症少、复发率低等优点。     

Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy combined with sapheno-femoral ligation compared to surgical treatment of varicose veins: early results of a randomised controlled trial.

AIM: This study is a prospective randomised controlled trial comparing sapheno-femoral ligation, great saphenous stripping and multiple avulsions with sapheno-femoral ligation and ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy to the saphenous vein. Primary end points were patient recovery period and quality of life and secondary end points frequency of complications on the two arms of the trial and the cost of the treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty patients with primary varicose veins due to GSV incompetence and suitable for day case surgery were randomly allocated to undergo ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy with sapheno-femoral ligation under local anaesthesia (n=30) or sapheno-femoral ligation, stripping and multiple avulsions under general anaesthesia (n=30). The study protocol included history, physical examination, assignment of CEAP class and assessment venous clinical severity score (VCSS), completion of the aberdeen vein questionnaire (AVQ) and colour duplex ultrasound. RESULTS: All treatments were completed as intended. Median time to return to normal activities was significantly reduced in the foam sclerotherapy group (2 days) compared to the surgical group (8 days) (p<0.001, Mann-Whitney). AVQ score was also significantly reduced at 3 months by 46% in the sclerotherapy group, and by 40% in the conventional surgery group (p<0.001, Wilcoxon). The time taken to complete treatment was shorter in the foam sclerotherapy plus SFJ ligation group: 45 vs. 85 min (p<0.001, Mann-Whitney). The overall cost of the procedure in the sclerotherapy group ( 672.97 pounds) was significantly less compared to conventional surgery ( 1120.64 pounds). At 3 weeks, there was no statistical difference in the complication rate between the two groups. At 3 months, median CEAP class dropped from four pre-operatively to one following treatment in both groups and the median VCSS score dropped from five to one in group one and from seven to three in group two (p<0.001, Wilcoxon test). In group one four patients (13%) had a recanalised vein which needed further sessions of foam sclerotherapy, resulting in a short-term closure rate of 87%. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy combined with sapheno-femoral ligation was less expensive, involved a shorter treatment time and resulted in more rapid recovery compared to sapheno-femoral ligation, saphenous stripping and phlebectomies.     

Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for the treatment of varicose veins

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess the early efficacy and complications of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) in a cohort of patients with varicose veins. METHODS: Of 192 consecutive patients referred with varicose veins over 15 months, only 11 chose surgery; the rest underwent UGFS treatment. Polidocanol was foamed 1 : 3 with air. Under ultrasound control via butterfly or Seldinger cannulation, 1 per cent foam was injected into superficial veins and 3 per cent foam into saphenous trunks, up to a total volume of 14 ml. Outcome was defined as complete when occlusion of the saphenous trunk and/or over 85 per cent of the varicosities was achieved, and partial closure when less. RESULTS: In 163 legs, complete occlusion occurred after one intervention, a further 32 after a second, and one after a third (overall 91 per cent). Of the remainder, all other legs achieved partial occlusion after up to three interventions, apart from two legs with great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence, which failed. All 23 legs with small saphenous veins had complete occlusion after one intervention compared with 64 of 97 legs with GSV incompetence (P < 0.010). Occlusion rates were also higher when the GSV was cannulated directly: 56 of 70 versus 8 of 27 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: UGFS achieved early complete occlusion safely in over 90 per cent of legs with varicose veins.     

Outcome of ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for varicose veins: medium-term results assessed by ultrasound surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate medium-term success after a technique for ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for superficial chronic venous disease. DESIGN: A prospective study in a single unit with ultrasound surveillance after treatment. MATERIALS: Results after 1189 treatment sessions for 807 venous saphenous veins and related tributaries or non-saphenous tributaries in 489 patients. METHODS: Univariate life table analysis determined primary and secondary success rates. Multivariate Cox regression analysis detected covariates that affected outcome. RESULTS: Primary and secondary success rates at 36 months for all veins were 52.4% (95%CI 46-58%) and 76.8% (95%CI 71-82%). Cox regression analysis for primary success for all veins showed significantly worse results for saphenous veins compared to tributaries (HR 3.72 - 95%CI 1.9 to 7.3). Cox regression for all saphenous veins showed independently worse results for patients less than 40 years age (HR 2.16 - 95%CI 1.27-3.66), small compared to great saphenous veins (HR 1.58 - 95%CI 1.11-2.24), veins greater than 6mm diameter compared to smaller veins (HR 2.22 - 95%CI 1.40-3.50), liquid compared to foam sclerotherapy (HR 2.20 - 95%CI 1.28-3.78), lower volumes of sclerosant compared to volumes greater than 12 ml (HR 0.51 - 95%CI 0.33-0.81) and highly diluted compared to concentrated sclerosant (HR 2.05 - 95%CI 1.21-3.46) with worse results using highly diluted or undiluted 3% sclerosant compared to a 1.5% concentration. There were no significant differences for primary success for saphenous veins for date of procedure, sex, side, primary or recurrent varicose veins, or commercial type of sclerosant. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy gives satisfactory results if it is accepted that treatment may need to be repeated to achieve secondary success. Results provide a basis for further research to explore factors that might affect outcome. Younger patients with larger diameter saphenous veins may warrant alternative forms of treatment, particularly for small saphenous reflux.     

Incompetent perforating veins are associated with recurrent varicose veins.

AIMS: we suspected incompetent perforating veins of having a role in the development of recurrent varicose veins in some patients. The aim was to look for an association between perforators and recurrent varicose veins. METHODS: a consecutive group of patients presenting with varicose veins were examined using colour duplex ultrasonography by an experienced vascular technologist. Pathological perforating veins were defined as those exhibiting bi-directional flow and a diameter of 4 mm or greater at the fascia. RESULTS: between September 1998 and July 1999, 204 patients were examined. Primary varicose veins were found in 198 legs (135 patients) and recurrent varicose veins in 91 legs (69 patients). In patients with primary varicose veins, 88 (44%) had incompetent perforators compared to 57 (63%) of those with recurrent varicose veins (Chi-squared, p <0.005). Also, for recurrent varicose veins, the percentage of patients with any given number of incompetent perforators was higher than for primary varicose veins. Overall, there was a higher number of incompetent perforators in those with recurrent veins compared to primary veins and this difference was significant at 95% confidence interval. CONCLUSION: patients with recurrent varicose veins have both a higher prevalence and a greater number of incompetent perforating veins than patients with primary varicose veins.     

泡沫硬化剂注射术与大隐静脉剥脱术的近期疗效对照研究

目的 评价泡沫硬化剂注射术联合高位结扎术治疗下肢大隐静脉曲张的近期临床效果.方法 55例(55条肢体)下肢大隐静脉曲张患者随机分为两组:传统大隐静脉剥脱术组(A组,23例);大隐静脉高位结扎联合泡沫硬化剂注射术组(B组,32例),比较两组手术前后CEAP分级及静脉临床严重程度评分(VCSS)的变化.结果 A、B两组手术...     

Indications and technique for sclerotherapy of varicose veins

Sclerotherapy is in general a very safe method for the treatment of teleangiectasias and reticular varicose veins done by an experienced therapist. The complication-rate is very low, with the use of Polidocanol the rate of skin-necrosis ranges between 0.001 and 0.2%, the incidence of superficial thrombophlebitis is 0.08%, the incidence of an allergic reaction is reported with 0.2%. The sclerotherapy of large perforating veins and the long or short saphenous veins is controversially discussed. The results of prospective randomized studies show better results with operative treatment in comparison to sclerotherapy. The recurrence-rate of sclerotherapy of the long saphenous vein varies between 22 and 37% after 3 years, between 40 and 70% after 5 years and 94% after 10 years. Before starting the sclerotherapy the extension of the varicose vein disease should be diagnosed correctly. The diagnosis can be obtained with duplex-ultrasound, that gives either functional and morphologic information about the deep and superficial venous system.     

Systematic review of foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins

BACKGROUND AND METHOD: Foam sclerotherapy is a potential treatment for varicose veins. A systematic review was undertaken to assess its safety and efficacy. RESULTS: Sixty-nine studies were included. The median rates of serious adverse events, including pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, were less than 1 per cent. The median rate of visual disturbance was 1.4 per cent, headache 4.2 per cent, thrombophlebitis 4.7 per cent, matting/skin staining/pigmentation 17.8 per cent and pain at the site of injection 25.6 per cent. The median rate of complete occlusion of treated veins was 87.0 per cent and for recurrence or development of new veins it was 8.1 per cent. Meta-analysis for complete occlusion suggests that foam sclerotherapy is less effective than surgery (relative risk (RR) 0.86 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 0.67 to 1.10)) but more effective than liquid sclerotherapy (RR 1.39 (95 per cent c.i. 0.91 to 2.11)), although there was substantial heterogeneity between studies. CONCLUSION: Serious adverse events associated with foam sclerotherapy are rare. There is insufficient evidence to allow a meaningful comparison of the effectiveness of this treatment with that of other minimally invasive therapies or surgery.     

Stripping operation with sclerotherapy for primary varicose veins due to greater saphenous vein reflux: three-year results

The purpose of this study was to compare the recurrence-free rates of stripping with varicectomy and stripping with sclerotherapy for the treatment of primary varicose veins due to greater saphenous vein insufficiency. This is a multicenter retrospective analysis of 186 patients and 220 limbs treated for primary varicose veins due to greater saphenous vein reflux from January 1996 to December 1997. The difference between the two groups was evaluated by the Chi(2) test or t-test. The recurrence-free rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier life-table method. The mean follow-up period was 3.2 +/- 1.1 years. The clinical backgrounds of patients with varicectomy stripping and sclerotherapy stripping were not significantly different between the two groups. The overall recurrence-free rates at 1 and 3 years were 97.0% and 91.4%, respectively. The recurrence-free rates at 3 years were 93.5% for stripping with varicectomy and 88.6% for stripping with sclerotherapy. No statistical difference was found between the two groups. The recurrence rate after stripping with sclerotherapy was equivalent to that after stripping with varicectomy. Thus concurrent varicectomy can be replaced with sclerotherapy.