How is Foam Sclerotherapy given?

Foam sclerotherapy is not suitable for thread veins as these are best treated by a very gentle liquid solution (this is called microsclerotherapy). It is also not suitable for very big veins which need one of our other techniques, as the wall is too thick for the foam to have full effect.

If your doctor suggests that your veins are suitable for foam sclerotherapy then they will recommend this treatment for you.

This can be done in two ways:

The first is directly injecting the foam into the veins using a magnifying lamp. This can be done for surface veins.

The second is by doing the injections under ultrasound control if the veins are quite a way under the skin or are very complex. It is important for the ultrasound to be used to make sure that the foam is put directly into the correct vein. The ultrasound probe is used to sweep the foam into all the areas that are needed.

What happens after the injection of foam?

The foam starts acting on the vein wall immediately. Therefore as soon as it is practically possible, your surgeon will put a pressure bandage on your leg that pushes particularly on the area where the foam is injected. This action keeps the walls of the vein held close together so that as the vein scars up, it stays closed and this should also prevent blood from seeping back into the vein.

For maximum effect, you should keep the bandages on for 12-24 hours. After that should wear your graduated pressure stockings solidly for 2 weeks, day and night.

Research has shown that wearing your graduated pressure stockings for less than two weeks day and night increases the risk of blood seeping back into the treated veins and therefore brown stains. The very best cosmetic and clinical result is found by those people who wear their stockings as instructed. Wearing them for more than 2 weeks does not appear to improve things further. However you may find it more comfortable to wear them for longer.

During that time you are able to briefly take off your stockings to either wash or to have cool showers. It is advisable not to take them off for any other reason.

Lumps on the leg and release of trapped blood

When foam sclerotherapy works best and if the compression is optimal, by the time the stockings are removed at 2 weeks there will be some marks on the skin which will slowly resolve over 3 months, with the best cosmetic results being seen after this time and improving right up to one year. Sometimes you will need more treatment and this will be advised to you by your doctor.