SKIN CARE        Sclerotherapy For Removal Of Spider                  Veins

What is Sclerotherapy for?
Sclerotherapy is for superficial leg veins which are dilated, small surface vessels, also called spider veins, telangiectasias, star burst blemishes. They are either pink, red or purple and can occur on ankles, lower legs or thighs as lines or clusters.

What are the causes of these vessels?
The cause is unknown but these vessels are more common in females. A familial predisposition is, pregnancy, obesity, trauma, long periods of standing and sitting have been implicated. Hereditary tendency is probably one of the most significant factors.

What is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is the injection of a medical agent into the cavity of a blood vessel. These medicines cause inflammation of the blood vessel walls resulting in occlusion of the blood vessels.

Can spider veins be prevented?
Exercise, weight loss and support stockings may help limit the number of new vessels but will not prevent a predisposed female from developing any at all.

What can I expect during the injection?
A very fine needle is used during the injection. You may experience a mild pin prick sensation which feels like a small mosquito bite.15 – 30 seconds of mild discomfort or burning at the site of injection may be experienced. Some patients may experience a local muscle cramp, lasting for a few minutes.

The injected veins completely disappear for a few seconds as blood is pushed out by the solution, but when the blood flow returns they reappear.Since many of the vessels interconnect, one injection may eradicate several dozens of vessels at one time.

Are there any special instructions before the procedure?
Do not take aspirin one week before the procedure. Be sure to eat before the treatment to avoid becoming lightheaded before the procedure.

How soon will the vessels disappear?
The vessels will either lighten or completely disappear. The fading occurs over the first month but it may take as long as 2-3 months for some vessels. The treatment does not prevent new vessels from appearing. It only treats vessels that have been injected.

How often can I be treated?
The same area should not be injected for 6-8 weeks to allow for complete healing. Different areas may be treated sooner.

How many times does it have to be done?
This varies with the number of areas that have to be injected as well as the response to each injection. It usually takes 1-3 injections to obliterate any vessels and 10-20 vessels may be treated in one session.

What are the post treatment instructions?
Pressure bandages will be placed on the treated areas and should remain until the following morning. Contact sports and strenuous activities should be avoided for the first 48 hours.

What kind of side effects can occur?
There are no serious side effects of the procedure, however temporary side effects may occur.

Local swelling and bruising may occur at the site of needle penetration and along the vessel: swelling resolves within 24 hours, bruising fades slowly within several weeks.

Tenderness which may occur at the injection site and along the vessel may persists for 1-2 weeks.

Immediately following injection: a hive like reaction with itching may develop at the site, usually subsiding within 30 minutes.

A small ulcer may develop at the site which will crust and heal in 2-3 weeks.

Spider veins often rupture during the treatment process and leave linear brown streaks, or small brown spots which clear in a few months.

Following the injection of the ankle, cramping may occur. Moving the toes and massage will alleviate the discomfort.

A network of very small veins may develop near the injection site during the course of treatment and may clear spontaneously or after repeated treatment.

	Pretreatment veins		After 1 session of sclerotherapy