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| Spider
Veins
Varicose Veins
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SclerotherapySclerotherapy, or ‘injection therapy’, is the most common treatment for spider and varicose veins on the legs. Facial, breast, and hand veins may also be treated with sclerotherapy. During treatment, a mild chemical solution is injected into the incompetent vein or capillary. The sclerosing agent irritates the walls of the vessel, causing it to collapse. The body then absorbs the vein and blood is re-routed to a healthy vein, restoring proper venous circulation in the area. A single sclerotherapy treatment session involves multiple injections. Patients describe the injections as feeling like a pinprick or mosquito bite. The number of treatment sessions needed will vary from patient to patient, depending on the number of veins treated, healing time, and the level of cosmetic perfection desired. Following injections, the leg is wrapped with an elastic bandage for several hours to help keep the vein closed. Normal daily activities can commence immediately after treatment, although compression stockings may need to be worn for 1-3 days after the procedure, depending on the vein size. At times, we may aid injection therapy by transilluminating the surrounding area to make deep problem veins more visible to the naked eye. By passing a special high intensity light through the skin’s surface we are able to locate and inject the deeper source of your varicose and spider veins. Age revealing veins on the back of the hands can also be reduced with sclerotherapy. Foam-SclerotherapyFoam sclerotherapy is a new form of delivering the sclerosing agent. This method is used at the VTC for large varicose veins. The foam solution has the consistency of shaving cream, which improves treatment in two distinct ways. First, the foam displaces blood within the vein, permitting the full strength of the sclerosing agent to be in direct contact with the vein wall for an extended period of time without any dilution effects. Second, the foam is visible via ultrasound imaging and can be easily tracked and guided to the source of the venous problem.
Glycerin-SclerotherapyThe Vein Treatment Center can also prescribe a glycerin-based sclerosing agent in the treatment of small spider veins and broken capillaries. Due to the fact that glycerin only irritates the inner lining of vein vessels, patients rarely develop redness or bruising in the treatment area.
Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy TechniquesUsing duplex ultrasound, doctors can guide a needle to the exact location of the vein (valve) to be injected. This technique permits the injection of larger veins that once required more invasive treatments. Although Duplex-Guided Sclerotherapy is widely used, the VTC prefers in many occasions to use a catheter instead of a needle (Transcatheter Image-Guided Occlusion Sclerotherapy, aka TIGOS) for safer and more effective treatment of large veins in difficult areas (groin and knee). TIGOS utilizes color duplex ultrasound to visually guide a catheter inside the vein to the exact location of the incompetent valve. |
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The
Vein Treatment Center
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