Foam Therapy (Sclerotherapy)
Sclerotherapy is a treatment method that aims to ensure that the cells on the inner surface of the vein that come into contact with the blood are destroyed and closed with drugs by entering into the veins with special, thin needles. Damaged cells will die over time, the vessel will be closed, and will be metabolized by the body. Although there are 3 drugs used worldwide for this purpose, there is only one licensed drug in our country. The drug, which has various concentrations, is selected according to the diameter of the vein, can be used as a liquid or foam depending on the situation and preference. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages.
The purpose of foam treatment is to obtain a thick foam by mixing 1 cc of drug with 4.6 cc of air. The resulting foam has many advantages. The most important advantage is that the total drug dose to be given to the patient is reduced, since the volume is increased by 4.6 times. İncrease in volume allows a larger space to be covered with less drug dose. In addition, the foam will stay in the vessel longer than the liquid, penetrate the cells more and will be more effective. Since mixed with air and given to the vascular system, which is a closed system, the complication rates seen with foam sclerotherapy are slightly higher. Although sclerotherapy application varies according to your pain threshold, it is not a very painful procedure. In the sessions, it is possible to infect medicine around 2mg/kg. Although some publications recommend bandages and compression stockings, the effectiveness of external compression, that is, compression, during the treatment period has not been proven.
Since the dose of medication is limited, your legs and veins will determine the number of sessions. Sclerotherapy, which is generally a successful treatment, brings with it certain complications and side effects, as with any drug administration and every interventional method.
- Bruises: Needle entry bruises are bruises that are as large as a pinhead. They usually disappear on their own within 1-2 weeks.
- Palpable hardness: As a result of deliberate damage to the vessel wall, the smooth surface, which is the first rule of fluidity, will deteriorate and clots will form in the vessel. This is part of the treatment. The clots will be absorbed by the body in a few months and the vessels will disappear completely.
- Discoloration: These are brown color changes that we call hemosiderin pigmentation. If they occur, it will take 6 months to fade away.
- Matting: Occurrence of new capillaries. They disappear spontaneously between 3 and 6 months, even if left untreated, but my preference is to treat them as well.
- Allergy: One of the most important side effects of the drug is allergic reactions of various degrees. Allergic reaction, which is one of the side effects that can be seen in all drugs, can even be life-threatening.
- Migraine attacks: It is possible to trigger migraine attacks, especially following foam treatment. If you do not have migraine, such a thing is out of the question.
- Ulcerations or Necrosis: The permeability of the vessel wall, the rupture of the vessel that cannot withstand the pressure, the accidental administration of the drug under the skin. Or, it is a rare complication that may occur as a result of especially red spider veins being an artery rather than a vein. If occurs unfortunately, a permanent scar will remain in the form of a cigarette burn.
- Deep vein thrombosis: Although rare , it is a feared complication. Although rare, the drug can escape into the deep main system through the connection paths between the superficial and deep systems, that we call the perforating veins. Thrombus formed here can cause complaints like pain, swelling and even life-threatening emboli.
