The laser was first conceived in the imagination of H.G. Wells, who described the use of a light gun in 1896 as an outer-space weapon. Albert Einstein then transformed this vision into a theoretical possibility in the early 1900s. Einstein…
Historical Review of Techniques Sclerosing treatment for telangiectasias was ignored until the 1930s, when Biegeleisen injected sclerosing agents intradermally or subcutaneously into the general area of capillary enlargement. However, this procedure caused severe necrosis and lacked effect on the telangiectasias.…
Introduction For nearly a century, open surgical treatment has been considered the gold standard to treat uncomplicated varicose veins. Since the early 1990s, however, techniques have shifted toward minimally invasive approaches. Foremost among these techniques are endovenous thermal ablation using…
Key features ■ Superficial telangiectasias, reticular veins, and varicose veins of the lower extremities are interconnected and develop after impairment of venous return ■ Poor venous return results from venous valvular incompetence or primary muscle pump failure ■ A pretreatment…
The opening, timeless quotation from Henry Faxon, Assistant in Surgery at Harvard Medical School in 1933, resulted from a careful analysis of 314 cases from the peripheral circulatory clinic of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Unfortunately, this quotation is timeless in…
When analyzing side effects and complications of sclerotherapy, one should remember that sclerosing agents are drugs that are injected into veins not to cure them but to obliterate them. In terms of safety of use and results, sclerosing agents are…
General Mechanism for Producing Endothelial Damage Sclerotherapy refers to the introduction of a foreign substance into the lumen of a vessel, aiming to create venous wall damage leading to occlusion of the vessel ( Fig. 7.1 ). This procedure, when…
Before sclerotherapy is performed, the examiner must obtain a focused history and perform a meticulous physical examination, including inspection and palpation (level 1). This combination places the patient into a proper clinical classification, and this, in turn, will dictate therapy.…
The term telangiectasia was coined in 1807 by Von Graf to describe a superficial vessel of the skin visible to the human eye. These vessels measure 0.1–1 mm in diameter and represent an expanded venule, capillary or arteriole. Telangiectasias that originate…
Essentially, three components of the venous system of the leg act in concert: deep veins, superficial veins and perforating-communicating veins. Dysfunction in any of these three systems results in dysfunction of the other two ( Fig. 3.1 ). When the…