Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins and spider veins. A chemical solution is injected into your vein to close it off. This treatment works well for many people, especially on smaller varicose veins. Recovery is quick, but it can take weeks or months to see results.

What is sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure that treats varicose and spider veins, usually on your legs. I use a needle to inject a special solution into your varicose vein or spider vein. This chemical solution irritates your blood vessel lining, making it collapse, stick together and form a scar. This closes off your vein, making it look and feel better.

What happens after sclerotherapy treatment?                                                     

After your treatment, your provider may ask you to keep lying down for 15 minutes or so to make sure you don’t have a bad reaction to the injected material.

You’ll be able to drive yourself home. You may go back to your regular activities, especially walking.

You should wear support hosiery or compression wraps for three to seven days to compress the treated vessels. Support stockings purchased from a department store may not work if your healthcare provider prescribes a heavy compression stocking. ** I have compression stockings available to purchase in clinic 

For 48 hours after your procedure, follow these guidelines:

• Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medications. You may take acetaminophen if you need it for pain relief.
• Don’t take hot baths or sit in a whirlpool or sauna. You may take showers, but the water should be cooler than usual.
• Wash the injection sites with mild soap and lukewarm water.
• Don’t apply hot compresses or any form of heat to the treated areas.
• Avoid direct exposure to sunlight (including sun tanning and tanning beds).