This is an alternative form of varicose vein treatment that utilizes the same principle as cosmetic sclerotherapy. The main difference with this method sclerosing agent is foam solution instead of a liquid. This allows the physician to treat larger veins than a typical sclerotherapy session could treat. Duplex ultrasound is key to the success of this procedure allowing the physician to see the diseased vein and guide the foam to the damaged areas. Using the ultrasound, Dr. Handley is able to see exactly where the foam is needed. The foam will irritate the lining of the varicose veins and cause it to collapse and scar. Blood will then re-route through healthier veins.
Treatment can be performed independently or in conjunction with other varicose vein treatments. After ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy, patients can resume their normal activities within a few days and will wear compression stockings for one to two weeks. There is typically no scarring from this type of vein removal procedure.
Schedule an appointment online or call our vein center in Flower Mound at (972)736-9980 to learn more today.
Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy is a variant, and it’s used for slightly bigger veins. Often it’s used as an adjunctive treatment that is performed after an ambulatory phlebectomy or after an endovenous laser ablation. It takes care of varicose veins that are not readily seen on the surface but are present in the lower extremities. What we do is we put a small butterfly needle into the vein and inject the sclerosant in a foam form so that it displaces the blood out of the vein and allows the sclerosant to work better in these larger varicose veins – veins that are not necessarily appropriate to do an ambulatory phlebectomy because they’re too deep in the leg. But they do need to be treated because they’re still causing some symptoms. The benefit is that it can decrease your leg swelling after the procedure so you don’t have this venous reservoir that’s still causing swelling and decrease symptoms in the lower leg.