What is Sclerotherapy?
After discussing your goals with Dr. Shaheen, he may recommend using Sclerotherapy to eliminate your varicose veins or spider veins. Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment that has been used to effectively treat varicose veins and spider veins since the 1930’s.
The procedure is performed by injecting a solution, typically a saline solution, directly into the vein. The solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel which causes the vein to collapse and stick together and causes the blood to clot. Over time the vessel turns to scar tissue that is absorbed by the body and disappears from view.
Who is an Ideal Candidate for Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is ideal for people who are in good health overall but are experiencing unsightly spider veins. The treatment is primarily effective for patients with smaller spider veins and may not work on veins over 4 mm. Sclerotherapy can also be used to treat venous insufficiency.
How does the Sclerotherapy Procedure work?
During your Sclerotherapy procedure, a physician will inject a Sclerosant solution through the skin and into the vein using a very thin needle. There may be some mild discomfort during the injection.
Depending on the health of the recipient, multiple veins may be treated at once. The number of injections needed will vary depending on the number and the size of the veins being treated. The procedure lasts approximately 30-45 minutes.
Sclerotherapy does not typically require downtime, but your physician may advise you refrain from strenuous activity for up to 2 weeks following the procedure.
Results may be seen as early as 4-6 weeks after treatment but may take longer for the scar tissue to fade. In order to achieve the desired results, patients will typically need more than one session of Sclerotherapy.
Once treated, the vein will be gone forever. However, new spider veins may develop over time which will require additional treatment.
Benefits of Sclerotherapy
- No downtime
- Multiple veins can be treated at once
- Minimally invasive treatment
- Veins are eliminated permanently
