Foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins

Hi, this video talks about foam sclerotherapy for treatment for varicose veins. It's a minimally invasive treatment used without a need for anaesthesia. Typically we treat varicose veins once the truncal veins which lead into them have been treated already, although some people do treat those as well. Under ultrasound guidance, a needle is introduced into the vein and then foam is injected, which then damages the lining of that vein and causes it to block and scar shut. When we do the procedure, we try to elevate the leg to empty the leg veins of blood as the blood tends to inactivate the chemical. Sometimes you require more than one treatment. And the intention is that it relieves symptoms and prevents worsening of skin changes and potentially facilitates healing of pre-existing venous ulcers. Again reasonable success rate. Risks are important to enumerate in terms of minor risks, wound infection, unlikely. Skin staining is an issue, thrombophlebitis and recurrence. And again as with other venous procedures DVT or deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are important. Important also to appreciate the vanishingly small but real risk of stroke.