What You Need to Know About Sclerotherapy for Varicose and Spider Veins

Sclerotherapy can relieve discomfort and negative effects produced by damaged veins in addition to reducing the appearance of varicose or spider veins.

Itching, discomfort, cramping, and discoloration are all symptoms of varicose veins. Varicose veins are larger and more severe than spider veins. Women are more likely than males to have varicose veins, although anyone can develop them.

Sclerotherapy's main goal is to help persons with a spider or varicose veins minimize the symptoms of those problems while also improving the appearance of the affected areas. Doctors may employ sclerotherapy to treat hemorrhoids on a rare occasion.

The best treatment for you is determined by your preferences and individual symptoms. However, because sclerotherapy is a less intrusive technique, you might want to explore it. It's possible that it'll alleviate your symptoms and the appearance of your veins enough that you won't require any more surgery.

Areas that sclerotherapy can treat

Varicose veins most commonly form on the legs and feet.

The afflicted veins may appear elevated, discolored, or bloated, and some may be deeper beneath the skin, causing pain. Spider veins are smaller and closer to the skin's surface, and they might be red, purple, or blue in color.

Sclerotherapy is often used to treat hemorrhoids when they are minor and internal. It can also be utilized if your hemorrhoids bleed or if you are unable to have a surgical procedure like a hemorrhoidectomy due to other health problems.

Sclerotherapy can be used to treat spider veins and varicose veins in the thighs, calves, ankles, feet, face, and anus, depending on the size of the affected veins.

Who is a candidate for sclerotherapy?

Most persons with varicose or spider veins can benefit from sclerotherapy, while the surgery is most commonly performed on women between the ages of 30 and 60. Because these problems grow more visible as people age, they are less noticeable in males who have more hair on their bodies.

This technique is not suitable for people who are bedridden, breastfeeding, pregnant or have given birth within the last three months. You'll have an assessment with a vascular specialist to see if you qualify for the operation, and they'll be able to tell you if it's right for you.

How the procedure works 

Sclerotherapy treatment for venous issues might take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the severity of the condition. If your legs are being treated, your doctor may instruct you to lie on your back with your legs elevated.

Your doctor may utilize an ultrasound as part of the surgery, depending on how deep the injured vein is beneath your skin.

Your doctor will begin the operation by cleansing the skin around the veins to be treated. Your doctor will then use a small needle to inject a sclerosing chemical into the injured vein.

Risks and side effects of sclerotherapy 

During sclerotherapy, you may experience slight cramping, stinging, or burning in the injected vein. It's possible that the treatment will be uncomfortable, especially if the sclerosing substance spills into the surrounding tissues.

Bruising, stinging, swelling, skin discoloration, pain, and raised red areas around the injection sites are all common side effects of sclerotherapy.

In a few days, all of these adverse effects should go away. Brown lines or patches may appear around the treatment region. These usually go away in 3 to 6 months, although they might stay longer or even become permanent in certain situations.

The bottom line 

Sclerotherapy works better on smaller varicose veins and spider veins. Within a few weeks of treatment, you may see a difference. The visible improvement of bigger varicose veins can take up to four months.

To totally eradicate varicose or spider veins, you may require multiple sessions. It's critical to have reasonable expectations about sclerotherapy's effectiveness. Sclerotherapy does not ensure that no visible signs of varicose or spider veins will remain following the procedure.