Sclerotherapy – Spider Vein Treatment
While Sclerotherapy is often referred to as the Sclerotherapy Spider Vein Treatment, it can also be used to treat varicose veins. Varicose veins are veins that have swollen, twisted, and filled with an abnormal collection of blood. Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but are smaller and are closer to the surface of the skin. The procedure involves a (salt) solution injection directly into the veins. This injection causes the blood vessel to swell and stick, causing the blood to clot. In time, the vessel is converted to scar tissue and fades away.
Sclerotherapy is an effective spider and varicose vein treatment for most patients, however, few patients (10 percent) are not cured by these injections. In those cases, different solutions or different treatments should be explored. Spider veins should disappear 3 to 6 weeks after Sclerotherapy, while varicose veins take longer, about 3 to 4 months. Veins that have been eliminated through vein treatment will not reappear. If new veins appear, the patient should return for Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment.
Product Use
A consultation with a specialist should be sought prior to Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment. If you are pregnant or breast feeding you are not eligible for therapy. Sclerotherapy is usually performed in a doctor’s office. Commonly, a 23 percent sodium chloride sterile solution mixed with a local anesthetic and heparin is used for Sclerotherapy injections. The solution is injected using a very fine needle and is injected directly into the blood vessel. How many veins can be treated in one visit depends on the the size and location of the targeted veins, as well as the individual’s overall medical condition. When larger varicose veins are being treated, a cramping sensation may be experienced for 1 to 2 minutes. The Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment can take from 30 to 45 minutes.
Possible Side-Effects
There are a number of possible side-effects to Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment. Larger varicose veins may become hard and lumpy for a couple of months after injection. Elevated, red areas may appear around the treated parts of the body but should disappear within several days. Also, bruising can occur near the injection areas but only lasts a couple days, maximum several weeks. If you develop any of the following more serious side-effects, contact a doctor: red streaking in the groin area, swelling of the leg, small ulcers around the injected area, inflammation around the groin area, or any allergic reactions.
Product Cost
Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment performed for cosmetic purposes will not be covered by insurance. However, if Sclerotherapy is performed for medical conditions, some insurance providers may cover the procedure. Average Sclerotherapy cost is around $450, however, price ranges between $150 and $1,000. Cost will depend on number of veins treated and the size and location of the veins to be injected.
How to Get It
Sclerotherapy spider vein treatment should be performed in a doctor’s office with a knowledgeable specialist. Please find a doctor near you for consultation and treatment.
Dr. Brian Kinney on Sclerotherapy – Spider Vein Treatment
We interviewed Doctor Brian Kinney about Sclerotherapy,
Spider veins and varicose veins are a nuisance and an eyesore at best, and sometimes can cause breakdown of the skin and small ulcers if advanced. Fortunately, effective treatments are available that can be performed in an outpatient setting. Doctor Brian M. Kinney’s patients really appreciate the results from sclerotherapy procedure, a cosmetic treatment that improves these poor skin conditions.
Let’s start with spider veins on the face. Both injection and laser therapy works for them. The ones on the face, around the lips or the nose, may be treated with a surface laser. The ones on the leg are generally better treated with injections or an internal laser. There are a couple of reasons spider veins on the face may be treated with a surface laser while the ones are the leg are not:
1) They are closer to the skin, so the surface laser can actually hit the veins.
2) The skin is thin and doesn’t provide as much protective cover from the surface laser.
3) They are not kept open by the pressure of pooling blood like in the legs. Injections are less involved and generally as effective as lasers.
Either way there is only a mild discomfort during the treatment. When treating with Doctor Brian M. Kinney M.S., it may take three or four injection sessions for optimal results where difficult or numerous spider veins persist. In Doctor Brian M. Kinney M.D.’s experience generally a third to a half of patients will be satisfied with just one session. Some bruising always occurs. After all, the blood in the vein is being coagulated (clotted) and some can escape during this process. If a dozen or more spider veins are being injected, a few will have a purplish discoloration, but rarely are they more unsightly than the old vein anyway. They’ll improve in a week or two. In very few instances, less than 5%, a scab or ulcer will occur. This generally heals in a couple of weeks.
If the veins are large, sometimes wrapping the leg with an elastic bandage for a couple of days may be required to keep the vein closed in order to help it shrink. The sclerotherapy treatment does not correct the original cause of spider or varicose veins. Usually, this is due to a breakdown of connective tissue in the blood vessel wall and/or skin, weakness and disruption of the elastic fibers, spilling of blood into adjacent tissues or related conditions. For this reason, Dr. Brian M. Kinney always tells his patients, the veins will likely come back in a couple of years. Patients should expect to go back for more treatments later.
Satisfaction rates are high, around 90%. Patients can typically resume normal activities either the next day. In extreme cases it can take up to three to five days. Brian M. Kinney M.D.’s office prefers using the concentrated saline (salt-water solution) because it is slightly weaker than the stronger sclerosing solutions that have a higher chance of minor complications. It is extremely rare that there are any permanent problems.