Ultrasound sclerotherapy for varicose vein removal

Sclerotherapy is a procedure that will eliminate varicose veins by injecting a substance into the vein that shrivels it into nothing. The most important thing that you need to know about sclerotherapy treatment is that it is best for the removal of varicose veins and large spider veins. As the vein being operated on must be large enough to receive an injection, it is only effective for use on larger varicose veins. These larger varicose veins usually occur on the legs. Sclerotherapy is never recommended for the removal of tiny spider veins and broken capillaries on the face. Instead these tiny spider veins are usually removed with a laser. Ultrasound sclerotherapy is a sophisticated modern procedure that helps perform varicose vein removal with less pain.

Before having sclerotherapy, which involves the use of an injectible, you may be asked by your surgeon to deal with very large varicose veins first. Varicose veins on the legs and arms are simply too large to be removed with a mere laser which only vaporizes the first or second layer of tissue. Sometimes varicose veins do not respond to sclerotherapy and have to be removed by conventional “cut and stitch” methods of plastic surgery. If you are an individual that has both varicose and spider veins then your plastic surgeon will recommend that you have the varicose veins removed first. This is because treatment is because sometimes the removal of the larger dead veins also causes the spider veins around it to disappear completely as well.

Varicose veins are dead veins that are very painful and laser surgery on the skin surrounding them can cause all kinds of discomfort and problems. If you treat spider veins without removing the varicose veins first, the spider veins will often return shortly after the treatment. When it comes to sclerotherapy ask your surgeon to start by removing the largest veins first! This can minimize the overall cost of sclerotherapy for your vein removal.

During a sclerotherapy a liquid agent is injected through a tiny needle directly the veins, causing them to contract and collapse. It is a very simple procedure that can be performed without anesthesia or painkillers in a doctor’s office. Depending on the number of veins to be removed, the procedure can take anywhere from two minutes to two hours.

After the veins are “killed” by the injection, you will be required to wear a special type of pantyhose called compression hose for the next couple of days. This prevents any veins from distending or positioning themselves in a way that might look unattractive. You will also be required to avoid activities that affect the circulatory and vascular systems such as exercise, saunas, hot baths and drinking alcohol.

One thing to be psychologically prepared for is the appearance of the spider veins immediately after the laser vein treatment. Immediately following the treatment the veins may look darker than usual but this effect usually disappears within a week. It usually takes between six and eight weeks for the spider veins to disappear altogether.

Complications and risks of sclerotherapy are rare but some people do experience phenomena called “matting” where the varicose veins seem to clump up and create an even more involved network of veins beneath the skin. Discolorations colored red, white or blue can also occur over the treated site. Skin necrosis (tissue death) might also occur if the blood flow in the area is not sufficient and somehow the removal of the veins starves other areas of tissue of oxygen in the treated area. To avoid post vein removal complications follow your doctor’s post-operative recommendations as closely as possible.

Expect that two to six sclerotherapy sessions at one to two month intervals may be necessary to achieve your desired results. Each treatment may cost anywhere from $100 to $400 per session. Usually treatments offered by a plastic surgeon or dermatological surgeon are more expensive than those offered by a cosmetician.

It is also important to realize that some spider veins are just too small to be treated by any kind of sclerotherapy or laser vein treatment. Although the results of the procedure are considered permanent, sclerotherapy will not prevent the body from developing new varicose or spider veins over time. However sclerotherapy has been used as a popular and enduring treatment to at least improve the appearance of skin afflicted with these types of discolored veins.