Sclerotherapy
It is estimated that over 50% of females have some type of spider or varicose vein dilemma. Sclerotherapy is the treatment of injecting a solution to eliminate the spider or varicose veins. Spider veins, or telangiectasias, are the small thin clusters of blue, red or purple veins, close to the surface of the skin that commonly appear on the legs and face. Spider veins are connected to the deep venous system, however are of no benefit. They can be caused by heredity, hormones, weight gain, trauma, prolonged standing or certain medications. Symptoms associated with the veins range from aching and burning to swelling and cramping, often at night.
Varicose veins are larger than the spider veins, usually bluish in color and tend to protrude or bulge. The bulging occurs as a result of incompetent valves inside the veins. When the valves become damaged they allow blood to flow faster into the already damaged vein, causing it to expand. The expansion increases over time causing the vein to bulge and move closer to the surface. The causes can be related to a venous disorder, heredity, hormones, trauma or prolonged standing.
Sclerotherapy is the injection of spider and varicose veins with an irritant to diminish or eliminate the veins. This treatment is effective for both men and women. Using a tiny needle inserted just under the skin into the vein, a Sclerosing solution is injected, causing irritation to that vein. As the clear solution is injected into the vein, it displaces the blood, making the vein disappear for a few seconds. The blood then returns to the vein and the solution now begins to irritate the lumen or inner lining of the vein. The irritation causes the lumen to swell thereby pushing the blood out of the vein. After the injection the practitioner will add a pressure type bandage to the treated area. Between the swelling and the pressure, blood is unable to return to the vein to keep it open and the body begins to dissolve and reabsorb this tissue. The length of time the pressure bandage remains depends on the practitioner and the severity of problem, ranging from a few hours to a few days. Some practitioners may require daily compression stockings.
A minimum of two sessions are required for effective treatment results. The number of needed treatments does increase depending on how many veins need to be treated. Common side effects include hyper-pigmentation, an irregularity which can take from a few months to a year to fade. Telangectatic matting (more tiny veins appear in an area) causing the area to need to be re injected. Initially the treated area will look worse before it looks better (the irritation to the vein makes it look more red and often more pronounced). More serious complications associated with sclerotherapy include, blood clots, skin ulcers, scarring, severe inflammation and allergic reaction to the Sclerosing solution.
Sclerotherapy is most effective when the larger problem veins are treated first. Often the spider and varicose veins are a symptom of a deep venous problem and the doctor or practitioner will need to evaluate this prior to any treatment. |
