What is sclerotherapy or sclerosis for spider veins legs? Is it an advanced varicose vein treatment? Let us guide you through this varicose vein treatment from USA Vein Clinic.

Varicose vein treatment: sclerotherapy 

Easy in its principle, sclerotherapy is a method that destroys spider veins legs and requires establishing a therapeutic strategy to ensure that only the veins that do not participate in the drainage (cleaning) will be destroyed. In addition, the principal axes of the saphenous veins (saphenous trunks), including in varicose subjects (varicose veins very often involve the most superficial veins and not the trunks), are in the vast majority of cases potentially usable for artery bypasses heart and legs. Therefore, we must respect these trunks, which can be used in future years to treat artery diseases.

Sclerotherapy is a medical treatment for spider veins legs. Take time for reflection and decision. During the first consultation, before this varicose vein treatment, the vein specialist at USA Vein Clinic will keep you informed of the advantages, disadvantages, and risks of the different methods of sclerotherapy and will indicate to you, depending on the case, the other possible alternative options.

How is sclerotherapy performed on spider veins legs?

Sclerotherapy, or sclerosis of varicose veins or spider veins legs, is a technique for treating varicose veins consisting of injecting an irritating product (sclerosing product) into a varicose vein in liquid or foam form, which causes it to burn and then gradually retract.

Sclerotherapy or sclerosis of varicose veins is performed in the clinic. Various sclerosing products are available in liquid form. They can be injected in liquid form (liquid sclerotherapy and microsclerotia) or transformed into foam (foam sclerotherapy). Doppler ultrasound and anatomical and hemodynamic mapping are mandatory prerequisites for treating sclerosis of varicose veins.

During the sclerotherapy for varicose vein treatment or varicose vein sclerosis session: Using a syringe and a needle, a specific sclerosing product is injected into the varicose vein.

For surface varicose veins and varicosities, the specialist can use the transillumination device, which improves their visualization and facilitates injection.

For deeper spider veins legs not visible to the naked eye: the specialist uses the echosclerosis or echo-sclerotherapy process; the sclerosing product (most often in foam form) is injected under visual ultrasound control. This makes it possible to guide and monitor the needle's position and to check throughout the echosclerosis procedure that the product diffuses well throughout the length of the vein.

After the varicose vein treatment:

Wearing stockings and compression bandages is recommended. The patient can leave and resume work as soon as the varicose vein sclerosis session is over.

Several varicose vein sclerosis sessions may be necessary depending on the extent of the spider veins legs.

The consequences of sclerotherapy

The consequences of sclerosis can be marked by transient and benign reactions, more or less frequent, such as "blue" hematomas at the injection points, sensitive induration of the vein, which can be associated with inflammation and redness on the skin, pigmentation (brown spot) and matting (hair extension).

Other reactions are infrequent and some exceptional: allergy to the sclerosant product, phlebitis, minor ulcers, and reversible neurological disorders such as migraine or visual blurring.

• Known allergy to sclerosant product.
• Recent phlebitis.
• Some coagulation abnormalities significantly increase the risk of phlebitis.
• Local infection in the sclerotherapy area or severe generalized disorder.

For foam sclerotherapy: a communication between the right heart and the left heart (patent foramen ovale) known and symptomatic (the foam risks passing from the right heart to the left heart and going to the brain, thus causing neurological disorders.

When to use sclerotherapy as varicose vein treatment?

• It can be used in addition to surgery to treat residual (remaining) varicose veins.
• Varicose vein sclerosis is also an excellent technique for treating small recurrences after surgery.
• Sclerotherapy is used with the first intention of treating varicosities (telangiectasias).

Finally, sclerotherapy is used in the varicose vein treatment of spider vein legs alone or combination with other treatments.