What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy involves an injection of a solution (generally a salt solution) directly into the vein. It is used to treat Varicose veins and Spider Veins.
Varicose veins are swollen, bulging veins that protrude from the surface of the skin often with a blue or purplish color. They commonly have a rope-like or cord-like appearance on the skin.
Spider veins are smaller, thread-like veins that occur near the surface of the skin and often appear on the legs or face. They can appear as red, purplish, or blue veins and often look like tree branches or spider webs with jagged edges that grow outward.
What is the purpose of Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a somewhat broad-based term to describe the medical technique of introducing medication into a vein for the purpose of shutting down and eliminating it.
How is the procedure performed?
In most cases of sclerotherapy, the salt solution is injected through a very fine needle directly into the vein. At this point, you may experience mild discomfort and cramping for one to two minutes, especially when larger veins are injected. The procedure itself takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes. The number of veins injected in one session depends on the size and location of the veins, as well as the general medical condition of the patient.
Sclerotherapy is performed on the surgery side by a vein specialist and requires that you do not do any aerobic activity for a few days after the procedure.
Will the procedure be painful?
There may be minor soreness and bruising. Any discomfort can be treated with over-the-counter, non-aspirin pain relievers as necessary.