Adding foam to varicose veins allows even the smallest veins to be treated, improving this non-surgical treatment for men and women, says a U.S. study.
In men, enlarged varicose veins in the scrotum, known as varicoceles, may cause pain, testicular atrophy or fertility problems. In women, enlarged varicose veins in the pelvis can cause disabling chronic pelvic pain, known as pelvic congestion syndrome.
The embolization procedure closes off the faulty veins so they can no longer enlarge with blood, alleviating the symptoms in both men and women.
Yale University researchers added foam to the technique, which closes off the small collateral vessels in the faulty veins that were previously unreachable. The new foam agent, Sotradecol, has only recently become available in the United States.
All the men and the women in the study were successfully treated, and the majority were still reporting symptom relief when the findings were presented Friday at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 31st Annual Scientific meeting in Toronto.
© Copyright 2006 by United Press International
