OUTCOME OF ULTRASOUND GUIDED FOAM SCLEROTHERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF VARICOSE VEINS

ABSTRACT

Varicose veins are one associated aspect of evolution that humans could have happily lived without. It's almost certainly the price we pay for the two-legged erect posture. Though we have achieved cure for various diseases, till now no reliable cure has been found for venous insufficiency.The gold standard for treating chronic venous insufficiency has been surgery. The surgeon dealing with varicose veins has always had to strike a balance between an aesthetically pleasing outcome and a low rate of recurrence and complications. Sclerotherapy, which was first used over 150 years ago, is still the most efficient method for permanently removing pathologically swollen as well as cosmetically unpleasant but otherwise normal veins.Foam sclerotherapy, in which the sclerosant is mixed with air or physiological gases, is more effective than direct injection of sclerosants, because the agent's contact with the endothelium is prolonged by the air in the foam. The use of foam sclerotherapy for big veins has reduced recurrence rates. Large-scale researches have demonstrated the safety of foam sclerotherapy. Foam sclerotherapy has a recurrence rate that is comparable to surgery. The efficacy of foam sclerotherapy has been variable as per different studies across different institutions