To determine the efficacy and safety of polidocanol endovenous microfoam (PEM 0.5%, 1.0%) and placebo each administered with endovenous thermal ablation.

A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study was conducted in patients with great saphenous vein incompetence and symptomatic and visible superficial venous disease. Co-primary endpoints were physician-assessed and patient-assessed appearance change from Baseline to Week 8.

A total of 117 patients received treatment (38 placebo, 39 PEM 0.5%, 40 PEM 1%). Physician-rated vein appearance at Week 8 was significantly better with PEM (p = 0.001 vs. placebo); patient-assessed appearance trended similarly. Polidocanol endovenous microfoam provided improvements in clinically meaningful change in patient-assessed and physician-assessed appearance (p < 0.05), need for additional treatment (p < 0.05), saphenofemoral junction reflux elimination, symptoms, and QOL. In PEM recipients, the most frequent adverse event was superficial thrombophlebitis (35.4%)

Endovenous thermal ablation + PEM significantly improved physician-assessed appearance at Week 8, increased the proportion of patients with a clinically meaningful change in appearance, and reduced need for additional treatment. www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01197833)