Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to describe a technique for catheter-directed foam sclerotherapy (CDS) of great saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency and report occlusion rate and patient satisfaction after a single treatment.

Methods

About 100 patients were included. The GSV was accessed at knee level. With the method of Tessari 10 mL sclerosant foam was made (2 mL 3% polidocanol and 8 mL air) and delivered along the GSV while the catheter was withdrawn. At two weeks and at one year after treatment the patients were evaluated.

Results

CDS was successfully performed in 94 of the 100 patients. After one year, 84% of the patients were satisfied. Seventy percent of the GSV were completely occluded, 14% were partly occluded and 15% were recanalized. No serious side-effects occurred.

Conclusions

CDS is safe. Patient satisfaction is very satisfying and the occlusion rate is promising after a single treatment. Repeated treatments and technical development may achieve higher occlusion rates.

Keywords

venous insufficiency great saphenous vein endovenous technique catheter-directed foam sclerotherapy polidocanol

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Beebe-Dimmer

Pfeifer

Engle

Schottenfeld

. Epidemiology of chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins. Ann Epidemiol 2005;15:175–84

Andreozzi

Cordova

Scomparin

Martini

D'Eri

Andreozzi

. Quality of life working group on vascular medicine of SIAPAV. Quality of life in chronic venous insufficiency. An Italian pilot study of the Triveneto region. Int Angiol 2005;24:272–7

Flu

Breslau

Hamming

Lardenoye

. A prospective study of incidence of saphenous nerve injury after total great saphenous vein stripping. Dermatol Surg 2008;34:1333–9

van Rij

Chai

Hill

Christie

. Incidence of deep vein thrombosis after varicose vein surgery. Br J Surg 2004;91:1582–5

Fischer

Linde

Duff

Jeanneret

Chandler

Seeber

. Late recurrent saphenofemoral junction reflux after ligation and stripping of the greater saphenous vein. J Vasc Surg 2001;34:236–40

Allegra

Antignani

Carlizza

. Recurrent varicose veins following surgical treatment: our experience with five years follow-up. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2007;33:751–6

Van den Bremer

Moll

. Historical overview of varicose vein surgery. Ann Vasc Surg 2010;24:426–32

Kanwar

Hansrani

Lees

Stansby

. Trends in varicose vein therapy in England: radical changes in the last decade. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2010;92:341–6

Nijsten

van den Bos

Goldman

Minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of saphenous varicose veins. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009;60:110–9

10.

Jia

Mowatt

Burr

Cassar

Cook

Fraser

. Systematic review of foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins. Br J Surg 2007;94:925–36

11.

Breu

Guggenbichler

Wollmann

. Second European Consensus Meeting on Foam Sclerotherapy 2006, Tegernsee, Germany. Vasa 2008;37(Suppl. 71):1–29

12.

Tessari

Cavezzi

Frullini

. Preliminary experience with a new sclerosing foam in the treatment of varicose veins. Dermatol Surg 2001;27:58–60

13.

Cabrera

Jr Garcia-Olmedo

. Treatment of varicose long saphenous veins with sclerosant in microfoam form. Phlebology 2000;15:19–23

14.

Coleridge S

. Sclerotherapy and foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins. Phlebology 2009;24:260–9

15.

Stücker

Kobus

Altmeyer

Reich-Schupke

. Review of published information on foam sclerotherapy. Dermatol Surg 2010;36:983–92

16.

Cavezzi

Tessari

. Foam sclerotherapy techniques: different gases and methods of preparations, catheter versus direct injection. Phlebology 2009;24:247–51

17.

Myers

Jolley

Clough

Kirwan

. Outcome of ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for varicose veins: medium term results assessed by ultrasound surveillance. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2007;33:116–21

18.

Rasmussen

Lawaets

Bjoern

Vennits

Blemings

Eklof

. Randomized clinical trial comparing endovenous laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, foam sclerotherapy and surgical stripping for great saphenous varicose veins. Br J Surg 2011;98:1079–87

19.

Parsi

. Catheter-directed sclerotheraphy. Phlebology 2009;24:98–107

20.

Kölbel

Hinchliffe

Lindblad

. Catheter-directed foam sclerotherapy of axial saphenous reflux: early results. Phlebology 2007;22;219–22

21.

Chapman-Smith

Browne

. Prospective five-year study of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy in the treatment of great saphenous vein reflux. Phlebology 2009;24:183–8

22.

Morrison

. Foam sclerotherapy – how to improve results and reduce side effects? Phlebologie 2008;37:211–20

23.

Hamel-Desnos

Guias

Desnos

Mesgard

. Foam sclerotherapy of the saphenous veins: randomized controlled trial with or without compression. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2010;39:500–7

Catheter-directed foam sclerotherapy for insufficiency of the great saphenous vein: occlusion rates and patient satisfaction after one year