WHAT IS SCLEROTHERAPY?

Sclerotherapy is the name given to the treatment of unsightly veins via injection. These veins are often found in the legs and appear as large twisted varicose type veins, medium sized blue veins and small red spider veins. These are a very common finding in women and have been found to be associated with family history, hormone replacement, the contraceptive pill, pregnancy and prolonged standing.

The legs have two systems of veins; the deep and the superficial. The deep veins lie deep within the legs and send blood directly back to the heart. The superficial veins lie on the outside of these and empty their blood into the deep veins. The flow of blood is in one direction because of one-way valves that lie within the veins. When these valves become damaged there is a backflow of blood. This creates pressure within the superficial veins. The body’s response to this pressure is to create new veins that head to the surface and are seen as spider veins. If the damaged valves are in larger veins we see the formation of varicose veins.

Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a chemical, which causes the unwanted veins to collapse and encourage flow back to the correct direction.

IS IT SAFE?

Sclerotherapy is a common procedure performed in thousands of women every year with minimal adverse reactions. Serious reactions are particularly rare but the risk of severe reactions to the chemical agents does exist, as does the risk of deep vein thrombosis. Before a treatment occurs in most cases an ultrasound of the leg veins is carried out to locate any large incompetent veins. Any underlying large abnormality must be treated under ultra-sound guidance before the spider veins can be treated. This not only reduces risk of deep clots but also improves the result of spider vein treatment.

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?

Side effects are generally minimal, with only mild discomfort on injection. As the vein collapses it releases its blood pigment, which can leave a brown marking over the vein site. This pigmentation in most cases fades over the next 6months. There is a risk of permanency with this pigment; however most women accept this risk, preferring pigment to unsightly veins. There is also a risk of ulceration at the injection site. This appears to be rare occurrence that has no obvious cause associated with it. The ulcer requires appropriate wound care and usually resolve without permeant effect, however scarring is possible. The final side effects are phenomena known as matting. This is the attempt of the body to seek out anew direction of flow by creating new spider veins. These are easily treated by further injections.

All risk of side effects are reduced by the use of appropriate pressure stockings for two weeks after the procedure, with no sun tanning or hot spas/baths and heavy exercise in this time.

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?

Once successfully treated the veins should stay collapsed. If the risk factors for vein formation persist, then new veins may form. For this reason most patients are extremely happy with their treatments.

WHAT’S THE COST?

Sclerotherapy costs depend upon the number of areas to be treated. Each treatment performed involves maximal safe quantites of the sclerotherapy chemical per treatment. There is no cost to the compression bandages worn after the treatment. These bandages apply even pressure to the legs in the healing stages and prevent the closed vein from re-opening and thus improve the results. Treatment of any large veins is covered by Medicare. The smaller veins are not. It is these veins that cosmetic physicians treat more commonly.