Treatment for Varicose Veins of the Leg

Abstract

The treatment for varicose veins is still not standardized. In small veins without saphenous vein reflux, sclerotherapy is usually used. In limbs with saphenous vein incompetence, two procedures, interruption of saphenous vein reflux and elimination of varicose veins should be carried out. Sclerotherapy or varicectomy might be applied for the latter, while the treatment is not standardized for the former. The stripping operation has been the most commonly performed operation for varicose veins associated with saphenous vein reflux. However, the current trend is towards minimally invasive procedures, such as foam sclerotherapy, ligations followed by sclerotherapy, and the endovenous laser or radiofrequency ablation technique. The selection criteria for treatment are base on the wishes of the patients as well as the pathophysiology of the disease, after detailed informed consent.