What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are veins of the superficial venous system that do not function properly because they have dilated and the blood no longer circulates as it should, becoming stagnant and causing heaviness, pain, swelling of the leg and the presence of dilated veins and capillaries, as well as changes at the skin level.
Who can suffer from varicose veins?
Varicose veins are very common, 70% of the population suffers from them. The risk factors are: family heredity, hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause), overweight and sedentary jobs, among others. Although women are the most affected, men also suffer from them.
How are they treated?
The first thing to do is to make a good diagnosis. A venous Doppler ultrasound should be performed to determine whether they are superficial varicose veins, varicose veins of saphenous trunks or varicose veins in veins that are not visible to the naked eye. In the case of superficial varicose veins, they are treated with sclerotherapy in liquid or foam form, or both combined. In the case of internal varicose veins and saphenous trunks, these can be treated in the operating room with surgery or other techniques; we treat them with ultrasound-guided microfoam. The microfoam, when injected into the vein, produces an inflammatory reaction inside the vein and the vein becomes fibrous and transforms into a thread, disappearing and being reabsorbed. In the latest European consensus on the treatment of varicose veins, microfoam is recognized as an equally effective alternative and without the side effects of varicose vein surgery (sick leave, anesthesia, operating room).
What advantages does microfoam have over other techniques?
The advantages over varicose vein surgery are that it does not require surgery, anesthesia or sick leave. It is a technique that has proven to be safe and effective, and an alternative to surgical treatments, offering the same results with fewer side effects. It is the only technique that can be used in the treatment of any varicose vein, whether it is a small reticular vein, an internal varicose vein or a venous malformation.
Can microfoam also be used in the treatment of spider veins and small aesthetic veins?
It is very important to make a prior diagnosis with echo-Doppler before knowing whether they are aesthetic or not. It is frequent that, when performing the echo-Doppler, we find varicose veins, which completely changes the treatment strategy. That is why it is necessary to consult a specialist to perform these treatments. The novelty for these patients is the possibility of opting for a very low-dose microfoam treatment guided by echo-Doppler to treat superficial veins, thus reducing the number of sessions and improving the results obtained, since the treatment is performed directly where the varicose vein begins.