Foam sclerotherapy treatment – is it right for you?

With so many different varicose vein treatments available these days, it can be difficult to figure out which one is right for you.

At one time, vein stripping was the only solution; a treatment many people were understandably concerned about. However, these days treating your painful, unsightly veins can be as simple as undergoing a few injections.

Foam sclerotherapy treatment has become a popular option, though it is one of the newer techniques available. So what exactly is it and could it be the best option for you?

Understanding foam sclerotherapy treatment

Sclerotherapy has been used for years to treat small varicose veins. However, it’s only recently that the foam technique has been developed. Unlike traditional sclerotherapy, a solution is mixed with a small amount of air and rapidly mixed to form a foam. This is then injected into the vein.

The solution gets to work by causing an intense spasm within the vein. Over time, the body destroys the vein, making it disappear. Its unique properties make foam sclerotherapy an ideal choice for larger, unsightly veins that cannot be treated with keyhole surgery. It’s carried out with ultrasound control.

Is it effective?

While the technique is pretty new, it has shown promising results so far. However, its long-term effects are pretty much unknown. A study carried out by the Imperial College Londoni, showed that the treatment can help patients return to their normal activities a lot sooner than they could with laser treatment.

So is it right for you? Well, some experts claim this is an ideal treatment for the majority of varicose veins. However, your veins are more likely to come back after sclerotherapy than after other keyhole treatments, so if your veins are suitable for endothermal or mechanico-chemical ablation, you’d likely be better off with one of the other keyhole treatments.

It takes around 2-3 sessions for the treatment to work, but sometimes you may need to have more depending upon the severity of the condition. It’s also worth noting that a third of patients do experience skin staining after the treatment too. While this is usually temporary, it is something you need to be aware of before deciding whether to undergo the treatment.

Overall, foam sclerotherapy has shown excellent success, but you do need to consider the potential disadvantages and risks. Before opting for any treatment, it’s important to know all of your options. Book a consultation with the Cornwall Vein Clinic today and find out which treatment would be most effective for you.