Endovenous Thermal Ablation Combined with Foam Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins of the Leg

Abstract

We evaluated the outcomes of endovenous thermal ablation (ETA) combined with intraoperative foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins of the leg. Of the 324 legs undergoing ETA (October 2018 to April 2022), 245 (75.6%) underwent intraoperative foam sclerotherapy and 237 underwent venography and fluoroscopy-guided foam sclerotherapy after ETA. Intraoperative complications included transient leg pain in 3.3% of legs. Postoperative complications included thrombophlebitis (3.3%) at 7–10 days postoperatively, along with induration (35.5%) and pigmentation (2.9%) at 1 month after surgery. Five limbs developed asymptomatic soleus muscle vein thrombosis, but symptomatic deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism were not observed. Six months postoperatively, 8.2% had residual varicose veins, however no additional sclerotherapies were performed. The revised venous clinical severity score significantly improved from 5.4±2.5 preoperatively to 1.0±1.3 at 6 months postoperatively. The safety and efficacy of ETA combined with intraoperative foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins of the leg appear satisfactory.