Dr. Thomas Wright announces a solution for a recurring problem when using the most common method of preparing foam sclerosant.
Dr. Thomas Wright of the Laser Lipo and Vein Center in St Louis presented an abstract at the Annual Congress of the American College of Phlebology which proposes a more efficient means of preparing foam sclerosant. Foam sclerosant is the treatment of choice for varicose vein treatment in areas other than the saphenous veins.
“As foam sclerotherapy becomes more popular for varicose vein treatment, it’s important to develop a method for delivering the treatment that is as effective and efficient as possible,” says Dr. Wright.
At present, the most common technique for preparing the foam sclerosant is to prepare it with atmospheric air. This technique has been popular in application since being described by Italian Phlebologist Lorenzo Tessari in 2000. Tessari’s method combines air and sclerosant and passes it through a stop cock 10-15 times until thick foam is produced. A common problem with this method is leakage of sclerosant from the stop cock.
In an abstract presented at the Annual Congress of the American College of Phlebology in Orlando, FL, Dr. Wright proposed a method utilizing a solution similar in cost and time to the Tessari method, yet with far less risk of leakage and waste. The method uses a Luer Lock-to-Luer Lock connection to foam the sclerosant. This technique uses materials that are easily re-sterilized and provides a much more secure connection during preparation. Neither material nor time is wasted, conserving physician and patient time, as well as supply.
Sclerotherapy, as a treatment, has existed for over a century. In the early 20th century, innovations in sclerosants led to today’s safe and effective foam sclerotherapy. The Tessari method is popularly used to foam sclerosants for vein treatment today.
Dr. Thomas Wright is the Medical Director of the Laser Lipo and Vein Center in St Louis, Missouri. His practice specializes in vein treatment and cosmetic medicine, including liposuction, cosmetic surgery, body sculpting and treatment and diagnosis of vein disease.
Dr. Wright was one of the first two-hundred-plus surgeons in the United States to become board certified in Phlebology by the American Board of Phlebology. Dr. Wright received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in Durham, NC and completed his medical training at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He completed his residency at the University of Alabama Birmingham. He is also a registered medical sonographer, credentialed by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and a Fellow of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, and a former Howard Hughes Research Fellow.
To contact Dr. Thomas Wright of the Laser Lipo and Vein Center in St Louis, Missouri call 636-614-1665
