Fall is in full swing! Even though the weather is getting cooler and the leaves are about to start changing … if you have pesky leg veins, now is the perfect time to start planning to be shorts-ready for next summer.
This month, I’m highlighting one of our favorite treatments for varicose and spider veins – sclerotherapy (or “sclero” for short). Before we talk about sclero, let’s touch on the veins themselves. Varicosities develop when veins and their internal valves become weak and are unable to move blood back towards the heart efficiently, leading to vein enlargement, blood pooling in the legs, and even the development of new blood vessels.
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that can help reduce the appearance of those veins over time. To perform sclerotherapy, we inject a medication called a sclerosant directly into the target veins with a small needle. The sclerosant irritates the vein lining, closes the vein, and causes the body to gradually resorb the damaged vein while re-routing blood flow to healthier veins.
Sclerotherapy can result in visual improvement of both varicose (blue/green veins) and spider (fine, surface vessels) veins, as well as partial relief of chronic vein disease symptoms (including aching, heaviness, and swelling). However, it is important to understand that sclerotherapy is not a one-time treatment. Multiple sessions will be required for maximum improvement, and results from a single session can take 3-6 months depending on the body’s speed of healing. This is why we recommend treatment in the fall or winter — so veins have plenty of time to heal and improve before the summertime returns!
Each sclerotherapy session lasts from 30-60 minutes depending on how many veins we are treating. The sclerosant that we use is called Asclera (polidocanol), which is mixed with air to form a foam immediately prior to injection. Asclera is FDA-approved for treatment of spider and reticular veins in the lower extremities. You can read more about Asclera here. Most patients tolerate the injections well with minimal discomfort. A quick bee-sting sensation from needle insertion and mild burning are most commonly reported.
After the target veins are injected, aftercare is important to ensure maximum results and prevent complications. We require the use of at least knee-high compression stockings for two weeks following treatment during waking hours. Patients should bring their compression garments with them to treatment for application immediately after injections. Any compression garment with at least 20-30 mmHg of compression is suitable. You can find our recommended brand on our Amazon product list here. Compression is essential because it helps the medication stay in contact with the vein walls, improves swelling and discomfort, as well as decreases the risk of blood clot formation after treatment. Aside from compression, we ask that you refrain from pounding or heavy exercise, saunas, hot baths, and direct sun exposure for two weeks following treatment. Gentle, frequent walking is encouraged as this can promote healthy blood flow and prevent clotting, but pounding exercise (i.e running, weightlifting, biking with hills), can place too much strain on the treated veins, potentially re-opening them.
Treatment is considered cosmetic and is not covered by insurance. A typical sclerotherapy session ranges in price from $250-$500 depending on how much of the medication is required to treat your desired target veins. Depending on your concerns and symptoms, we may recommend completing a venous ultrasound first to ensure there is no deeper vein disease that may require treatment.
If you have bothersome leg veins and would like to explore treatment options this fall, give the office a call!
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