What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a widely used specialized treatment that targets varicose veins and spider veins, as well as other forms of venous insufficiencies that can cause the problem to resurface in the future. It is both a medical treatment for dealing with varicose and a cosmetic procedure that restores a smooth look to your legs.
What should you expect from the procedure?
A trained professional injects a special medicine Asclera® into the unhealthy vein. This medication creates irritation in the walls of the vein and works by damaging the cells lining the inside of the blood vessel. This process causes a localized inflammatory reaction, which causes the vein to produce scar tissue and block off all of the blood flow into the area, forcing the blood flow to reroute towards healthier veins. The residual vein shrinks and gets absorbed into the surrounding tissue, causing it to fade over within a few weeks.
Spider veins can be described as thin blue veins, located very close to the surface of the skin. Asclera® injections are delivered directly into the veins with a tiny needle. This process can leave small red marks, similar to mosquito bites, on the surface of the skin. This is a normal reaction, which fades in a couple of hours.
For more serious cases of varicose veins, which are large blue swollen veins that visibly bulge above the surface of the skin, the procedure is more complex. The doctor performs a thorough examination of the affected area so that the injection does not cause blockages around deeper veins.
A typical sclerotherapy session lasts approximately 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the problem area. There is no downtime after the procedure.
Are there any risks?
The risks of sclerotherapy are minimal if done correctly. There is almost no danger of allergic reactions and extremely low risks of developing blood clots or infections.
Aftercare:
Compression stockings or support hose should be worn continuously for 2-3 days and 2-3 weeks during the daytime. It is also recommended to avoid strenuous physical activity.