Varicose Veins

• Varicose veins form when the veins in the legs are unable to help blood return to the heart. These can be caused by a wide variety of reasons with obesity, pregnancy and smoking being the major causes. Because of the diseased veins, the blood pools in the legs, causing the veins to swell and may give rise to darkening of the skin, make the skin brittle or cause ulcers.

• RFA and Foam Sclerotherapy is a new technology which enhances patient comfort, quickens recovery time and delays re-occurrence of varicose veins.

• Firstly, a detailed ultrasound scan is done to ‘map’ the diseased veins of the legs on a diagram. The specialist uses this to treat the diseased veins.

What to Expect

• The specialist will do a consultation with you on the day of the procedure and take a consent.
• You will be asked to change into a gown and you will be asked to lie on a bed for the procedure.
• The specialist will clean the leg to be treated and cover it with sterile sheets. The doctor will put a small needle in your leg to put thin tubes in and uses heat therapy to close the damaged vessels unlike vein stripping which would require surgical removal of these veins. The area of treatment is numbed but you will be awake throughout the procedure.
• The smaller vessels than cannot be treated with this is then injected with a special ‘foam’ with pressure applied by hand from above. This ‘foam’ acts like a sealant and glues the vein shut.
• Compression stocking is applied after procedure to further help keep the veins shut and the patient may start walking within 30 minutes as soon as the numbness goes away. The next day, the patient may resume their normal duties.
• Special instructions are given regarding wearing of stockings, exercise and the do’s and don’ts to enhance the recovery.
• Patients can be reviewed by the Interventional Radiologist anytime during the 6-month period after treatment and follow-up treatments may be done if required.