SCLEROTHERAPY

What is Sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is the injection of medicine into the veins to cause them to shrink and disappear. The purpose of these treatments are to improve the appearance of the blood vessels in the legs, which have enlarged over time and are now either blue or bulging, or appear as red or blue thread-like streaks beneath the skin surface. Treatments have proven highly effective minimizing or eliminating most unwanted veins when all instructions are carefully followed. This is not a cure for the process that forms veins, but a way to control veins that have already formed; new veins are likely to continue appearing with time. No medical treatment is always effective 100% of the time and not every vein may completely disappear. Sclerotherapy can effectively and dramatically improve the appearance, or totally remove even large unwanted veins, with only minimal risk, discomfort and cost, compared to surgery

How Many Treatments will I Need?

More than one treatment is usually necessary; these are usually spaced about a month apart. The actual number of treatments needed varies depending on the type, size, age and location of the veins to be treated. While proven effective in the vast majority of cased, no guarantee can ever be made that a particular patient will benefit from these treatments.

How does Sclerotherapy work?

All treatments begin with a consultation to examine your legs to determine if your veins are suitable for treatment. Rarely, an existing problem is found with blood flow in the largest veins deep inside the leg that may require surgical correction before any non-surgical treatment will be effective on the smaller veins. Sclerotherapy is a time-proven method where medicine (the sclerosing solution) is placed directly into the vein itself through tiny injections. The solution causes the walls of the vein to become irritated and “sticky”. With help from external compression by a leg bandage or stocking, the veins own walls stick together and the vein is sealed off so blood no longer flows through it (like pinching a drinking straw between your fingers). Once the vein has closed, the body breaks down and reabsorbs it through a natural process so it is no longer visible through the skin.

Are there any risks or complications?

Dr. Dadurian makes every effort to provide you with treatment that is safe and effective. However, as with any medical procedure, undesirable side effects may rarely occur. This may include, but some discomfort. Most patients do not find the treatments uncomfortable or objectionable. The tiny needles used for injections are among the smallest made. Still, there may be a brief sensation of pain or burning at the injection site. The older “saline” injections tended to be more uncomfortable that the more modern agents we use today. You may experience mild itching along the vein or red bumps on the skin. This is a common temporary skin reaction to irritation taking place inside the vein and generally passes within a few hours.