Chronic Venous Disease Treated by Ultrasound Guided Foam Sclerotherapy

AimTo report the outcome of a series of patients with chronic venous disease due to incompetence of saphenous trunks managed by ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy (UFS).Patients and methodsA group of 808 patients comprise this series. CEAP clinical class for limbs was C1: 15%, C2: 81%, C3: 0.5%, C4: 2%, C5: 0.2%, C6: 0.4%. UFS using 1% polidocanol (107 limbs), 1% sodium tetradecyl (102 limbs), 3% sodium tetradecyl (900 limbs) was employed to treat incompetent saphenous trunks. In patients with unilateral varices 1 treatment was required in 43% of patients and 2 treatments in 48% of patients to obliterate incompetent saphenous trunks and varices. For bilateral varices 2 treatments were required in 40% of patients and 3 treatments in 46% of cases.The clinical outcome and patency of treated veins on duplex ultrasonography was assessed at a mean follow-up interval of 11 months.ResultsA total of 459 limbs were available for assessment at a follow-up interval of 6 months or greater. The CEAP clinical stage was C0:182 limbs, C1: 241, C2: 22, C3: 0, C4: 11, C5: 2, C6:1. The GSV had remained obliterated in 88% of limbs and the SSV in 82% of limbs. Recurrent venous incompetence following previous surgery was as effectively treated by UFS as primary incompetence.ConclusionsThis technique is useful in the management of chronic venous disease as an alternative to surgery.