Scientific Session 5: Ablation Outcomes and Accreditation
Ablation Outcomes: Vein Size, Length and Age
Robert Attaran’s 242 patient study found GSV diameter did not correlate with baseline symptoms or improvement after ablation, while longer ablated segments did, and Ahmad al-Sheikh found older age predicted recanalization after ablation even after excluding perforator veins.
Treating Very Superficial Reflux: Plexus and Foot Veins
Alvaro Rigo found treating incompetent dermal and subdermal plexus veins with echoguided microfoam resolved persistent eczema after truncal ablation, while a 682 patient study found foot and ankle sclerotherapy healed ulcers and corona phlebectatica with high patient satisfaction.
Cyanoacrylate Sandwich Technique for Superficial Veins
Naoki Sakakibara’s cyanoacrylate sandwich technique, blocking the vein lumen every five centimeters with low dose polidocanol between segments, achieved complete occlusion comparable to standard injection while reducing postprocedure NSAID use.
Safety Deficiencies in Vein Center Accreditation
Laura Humphreys’s review of 284 IAC site visits found safety deficiencies in 54.9 percent of facilities, most often unsecured or improperly logged emergency equipment and medications, followed by sterilization and autoclave gaps and infection control lapses including poor hand hygiene.
