If damaged varicose veins and visible spider veins are affecting your daily life, sclerotherapy could be the best treatment option for you.
What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a spider vein and varicose vein procedure used to treat problematic veins. Used in different cases for both cosmetic reasons and for painful legs, sclerotherapy is the treatment option that is considered the gold standard when it comes to vein treatments in the USA. After just a few short visits for sclerotherapy treatments at one of our New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, or Texas vein centers, your problem veins will significantly improve, leaving you with great-looking legs that are free of pain.
Sclerotherapy treats both varicose veins and spider veins using an injected foam. Once dispersed throughout small veins, the solution adheres to the vein walls and eliminates the surfaces, causing the visible veins to quickly close and be reabsorbed into the body. Sclerotherapy side effects are rare and quite minimal, which means you can go about your daily life before and after your appointments.
After treatment, circulation improves—which means pain relief in your legs—and the visible appearance of the veins disappears.
All About Sclerotherapy Treatment—and How Sclerotherapy Works
Sclerotherapy is a simple procedure done right in one of our Metro Vein Centers offices. It uses a special foam solution to seal problem veins shut. By eliminating poorly functioning veins, sclerotherapy re-routes your blood flow through healthier, better veins.
So, exactly how does sclerotherapy work?
Sclerotherapy works by injecting varicose veins and/or spider veins with a concentrated, injectable foam. Once injected via a tiny needle into small veins, the solution adheres to the vein walls. Essentially, the special foaming agent acts to purposely irritate the underperforming vein. This causes the visible veins to quickly close and be reabsorbed into the body. visible, painful veins disappear—often instantaneously—and the blood that was leaking within your damaged veins can instead travel through healthy veins within your legs.
Typically, two to four visits, each lasting 30 minutes or less, can be expected to fully minimize problem veins. These visits are spaced out every few weeks for optimal healing and results.
We accept most forms of insurance at Metro Vein Centers, though sclerotherapy isn’t always covered by every plan. Insurance coverage depends on whether you have medical symptoms that would benefit from treatment. If treatment is only cosmetic then it would not be covered. During your evaluation, your doctor will go over the treatment options with you depending on your specific needs.
What are Sclerotherapy Side Effects?
There are few, if any, side effects with sclerotherapy. Since this is a minimally invasive vein treatment option, patients are able to walk right out of the office and resume normal activities almost immediately.
In certain cases, sclerotherapy may include temporary side effects on the legs, such as:
-Bruising around the treatment area
-Skin tenderness or redness
-Temporarily darkened skin around the injection areas
These minor issues usually go away within a few days or weeks. Rarely, some side effects may take up to a month to completely disappear.
Is Sclerotherapy Painful?
During a sclerotherapy treatment, patients will feel small pinches as the foam solution is injected into several areas of the legs with damaged veins. The needle used for injection is extremely fine and will not leave a scar.
Following treatment, the vein doctor will massage the treated area, then lightly bandage treated areas on the legs. Patients will be given compression stockings to wear for a short time following treatment. Aside from small pinches during your procedure, most patients truly don’t find sclerotherapy very painful. In fact, most of our clients end up watching the entire procedure to see the results in action.
Before and After Sclerotherapy Results
Is Sclerotherapy the Best Treatment Option?
Every client has unique needs, and while sclerotherapy works best for many, one of our other treatment options may work better for others.
Sclerotherapy generally works best for smaller spider veins, and small-to-medium varicose veins. Our vein specialists will also use ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for larger, more bulging veins.
Only our board-certified vein specialists can understand your specific needs after your initial consultation and exam, so the first step towards better, healthier legs is making an appointment.
Looking for a vein doctor who can go over all your vein treatment options? Metro Vein Centers has you covered. We have offices throughout New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Connecticut, all with board-certified vein doctors and vein specialists.
Trusted insight from the nationally accredited, board-certified vein doctors at Metro Vein Centers.
