A survey of current attitudes of British and Irish vascular surgeons to venous sclerotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine current practice amongst vascular surgeons regarding venous sclerotherapy.


METHODS
A postal questionnaire was sent to 350 members of the Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.


RESULTS
There were 218 replies (62%). Forty surgeons (18.3%) never injected varicose veins (VV) although six injected venous flares. Most surgeons (n = 168, 77.1%) reserved sclerotherapy for residual VV postoperatively. Primary varicose veins without proximal incompetence were injected by 152 (69.7%) and recurrent VV without proximal incompetence by 141 (64.7%). Sixteen surgeons only injected residual postoperative VV. Few surgeons injected VV in the presence of proximal incompetence. Where specified, 46% of respondents were injecting fewer VVs than in previous years. Only 5% were injecting more. By contrast, 44% were injecting more venous flares than previously (p < 0.001). Eight different sclerosants were used, the commonest being STD (146 surgeons) and Sclerovein (33). The median number of patients treated with sclerotherapy was 11-50 per year compared with 51-150 per year who were operated upon. The median time advised for compression was 2 weeks (range--a few minutes--2 months). Treatment was repeated at a median of 4 weeks (0-6 months). Thirty-two surgeons obtained written consent. All but eight respondents discussed potential complications, the commonest being staining and ulceration. Forty-six surgeons had patients who had experienced serious complications, the commonest being ulceration. There was one reported death from a pulmonary embolus.


CONCLUSIONS
Sclerotherapy is being used less frequently for VV. Most surgeons use it for residual VV and for those without proximal incompetence.
Department of Surgery, East Glamorgan General Hospital, U.K.
R B
RB
Galland
T R
TR
Magee
M H
MH
Lewis
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D015911:Sclerotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures