Sclerotherapy & foam Sclerotherapy - Varicose Veins Doctor

Spider veins are dilated small blue, red, or purple vessels which can be seen through the skin. Most often present on the thighs, calves, around ankles, and behind knees.

What causes spider veins?

Hormonal changes, heredity, regular prolonged standing or sitting, and pregnancy can, but not exclusively contribute to the development of spider veins.

Do spider veins require investigation?

Spider veins usually are a cosmetic concern, but, according to venous insufficiency classification, Spider veins represent level 1 on the CEAP C0-C6 scale. Its clinical implication is, that patients present with spider veins should be evaluated before treatment by a varicose vein expert and venous duplex ultrasound should be performed to rule out underlying venous insufficiency.

Sclerotherapy Treatment:

The most commonly performed spider vein treatment is micro sclerotherapy. This is a sclerosant agent injected into the vein through a very fine needle. It does not require anesthesia. Chemical damage to the vessel wall occurs and the veins shut close. Usually, several spider veins are injected during one session, and for more extensive spider veins repeated sessions are required for best results. For larger veins, we create foam to inject.

Sclerotherapy Aftercare:

Immediate walking is recommended. Stronger compression is applied for the first 24 hours, which will be changed for weaker compression for about a week, afterward. Strenuous physical activity is not advised for a week. Initially, the treated veins can look worse than before treatment or the area can be bruised, but this will settle and fade in a couple of weeks. Also, slight brownish discoloration can develop which may take a little longer to diminish. For most, about 6-8 weeks are needed to finish healing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):