Foam sclerotherapy is a new technique used to treat varicose veins. A carbon dioxide foam detergent is injected directly into the veins and tracked by an ultrasound scanner. The foam pushes blood out of the varicose vein and causes the vein to close.
"It is a chemical, toxic agent to the wall of the vein, so basically what you're doing is you're irritating the inner lining of the vein” explains Dr. Rajagopalan Ravi to CBS News.
This is a much less invasive procedure and has a very quick recovery time. The foam washes all the blood from the problem vein and seals the vein shut. The entirety of the procedure takes about 15 to 20 minutes. This is a newer form of sclerotherapy which is still being tested by physicians across the nation.
