foamopole

Source data on foam stability. We measured the stability of sclerosing foam, which was made according to the standard Tessari method: using two syringes (Terumo® Syringe; Terumo Europe, Leuven, Belgium), 2.5 ml and 5 ml ones, connected with a three-way stopcock (BD ConnectaTM, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy System Inc., Nogales, Mexico). Foam was made of 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3% polidocanol (Aethoxysklerol, Kreussler Pharma, Wiesbaden, Germany), and 0.2%, 0.5%, 1% and 3% sodium tertadecyl sulfate (Fibrovein, STD Pharmaceuticals, Hereford, UK). Room air was used as the gas, and it was mixed with the sclerosant in the proportion of 4:1. In order to produce foam, the mixture of sclerosing agent and air was 20 times transferred from one syringe to the other. During foam production only a slight pressure was applied on the pistons of syringes. Foams were ejected through the needles (Inex needles; Aesthetic Group, Puiseux le Hauberger, France) with the diameter and length of: 0.26 mm (32G) x 4 mm, 0.26 mm (32G) x 6 mm, 0.26 mm (32G) x 13 mm, 0.3 mm (30G) x 4 mm, 0.3 mm (30G) x 6 mm, 0.3 mm (30G) x 13 mm, 0.4 mm (27G) x 4 mm and 0.4 mm (27G) x 13 mm. Through these needles foams were gently ejected on a clean microscope slide, from the height of about 5 mm. The time after which foam started to disintegrate was measured (Fig. 1). Measurements were conducted 5 times for each concentration of the sclerosant, length and calibre of the needle. All measurements were performed at temperature of 23.4oC.