Complications of Sclerotherapy with Sclerosing Foam in Lower Extremity Varicose Veins

Background: Using sclerotherapy with foam has caused a great change in treatment of varicose veins. Although, it is more than a century that it is being used, no exact and comprehensive knowledge of its complications has been published yet with regard to the existing facilities in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Patients with varicose veins of lower extremity referred to cardiology clinic of Razi hospital, Rasht were included in the study after doppler sonography and in case of presence of varicose veins with more than 2 mm diameter in lower extremities without inadequacy of saphenofemoral and saphenopopliteal valve. They then underwent sclerosing with foam treatment. The total number of patients was 156 who were examined 2 weeks and 3 months after sclerotherapy in terms of complications such as pain, pigmentation, recurrence, phlebitis, deep vein thrombosis and skin necrosis. Results: Out of 156 patients, 47 were men and 109 women whose mean±SD age was 46.5±12.2 years. Two weeks after sclerotherapy, pain in 95 patients (65.1%), pigmentation in 79 patients (53.4%), recurrence in 5 patients (3.4%), necrosis in 8 patients (5.5%) and no phlebitis was witnessed. Three months after sclerotherapy, pain in 10 patients (6.8%), pigmentation in 52 patients (35.1%), recurrence in 13 patients (8.8%) and phlebitis in 13 patients (8.8%) were seen; however, necrosis was not observed Conclusion: Sclerotherapy with foam is an effective, safe and inexpensive method for treatment of varicose veins of lower extremities. Thus, in case of a careful selection of patients and conduction in an equipped center, few complications will be seen.