Sclerotherapy has been in use since the 1930’s is used for the removal of small or medium sized spider or varicose veins and is the preferred treatment for spider veins. This is a minimally invasive procedure; the patient is able to immediately return to work and normal activities. The treatment process will take less than an hour depending on the size and surface area of the veins being treated.
You will have an initial consultation with the doctor where a physical exam will be performed to see if you are an ideal candidate for sclerotherapy. If you are pregnant or bedridden, you may not be eligible. You should not take any kind of anti-inflammatory medication such as Advil or Motrin, 48-72 hours before your procedure. During your office visit, your doctor may begin by rubbing a numbing agent on the area to be treated to prevent any discomfort. He will then use a very small needle to inject a solution called a sclerosant into the vein. The sclerosant irritates the lining of the vein and eventually, blood will no longer flow through it. The vein will then collapse and be absorbed by the body as scar tissue. After this occurs, the vein will be much less visible or not visible at all.
Depending on your condition, you will need one to several sclerotherapy sessions and several injections per session to achieve optimum results. Following the procedure, you may notice slight bruising or swelling which should go away within a couple of weeks and also pigmentation which could last up to a couple of months. It is possible for small lumps of blood to get trapped in the vein and cause inflammation. Heat and aspirin is recommended to reduce the swelling and the lumps can be removed at a later office visit. Your doctor may recommend you wear compression stockings for up to a couple of weeks in order to assist in the healing process. Walking and exercising will also help to speed up the recovery process. This procedure will remove unwanted veins but it will not prevent future veins from becoming a problem.
