Overview on foam sclerotherapy in the treatment of varicose veins

Foam sclerotherapy has become an important part of the treatment for patients with chronic venous diseases (CVD), including both medical and esthetical indications. The wide implementation of foam sclerotherapy in C1 to C6 patients, together with growing clinical experience and number of performed studies, positions foam sclerotherapy as a valuable treatment method in the current CVD management guidelines as well as several consensus documents. The technological progress and improvement in good-quality foam preparation, as well as an improvement in its administration adjusted to the treated pathology, allow the achievement of satisfactory results in a variety of patients and clinical conditions. This article presents an overview of the current position of foam sclerotherapy treatment in the CVD management guidelines, together with an update on physician-compounded, as well as standardized, foam preparation and administration options. The options for treatment of truncal vein incompetence followed by varicose vein/tributary and C1 foam sclerotherapy are also discussed in light of current clinical experience, technical solution availability, and study results. Foam sclerotherapy remains an important compound for phlebological treatment, as it's often the method of choice or a complementary part of CVD patient management.