Foam sclerotherapy combined with saphenofemoral ligation procedure: long-term results

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of the foam sclerotherapy combined with saphenofemoral ligation(FS-SFL) in a selected group of patients with varicose disease and present the long-term results of ten-yearultrasonographic follow-up.Methods: Sixty-five patients with primary varicose veins due to the great saphenous vein incompetence whohad been treated with FS-SFL were retrospectively reviewed over a period of ten years. The patients wereassessed before and after the treatment by Doppler ultrasonography and clinical examination.Results: The mean age of the patients was 44.6 ± 11 years (range: 19 to 87 years), and 51 were females and14 were males. Follow-up for all patients was ten years. The most common complication was skin pigmentation.There were no major complications. No recanalization of the great saphenous vein was seen in any patient.Conclusions: FS-SFL is a safe and effective method of treating varicose veins. This treatment have a low rateof recanalization in their long-term follow-up.