Sclerotherapy
Used to treat smaller varicose veins and spider veins, sclerotherapy involves an injection of an FDA approved chemical into the vein that causes inflammation of the vein walls and causes the vein walls to stick to one another, collapsing the walls together. The veins close and fade from view, and eventually are absorbed by the body. The needle used is so thin, and the solution so mild, that discomfort is minimal. Small veins are effectively removed by sclerotherapy but veins will often reappear if the underlying causes, incompetent blood vessels, are not treated.
Sclerotherapy is sometimes associated with brown discoloration of the vein that may take up to one year to disappear. Sclerotherapy usually requires repeated treatments. It rarely can cause skin ulcers and as with all medications, some patients may have an allergy to the solution.
Interested in seeing this procedure in action? Visit our Live Sclerotherapy Videos page to view a previous case.