Sclerotherapy
While sclerotherapy is frequently employed as an adjunct to endovenous laser ablation in the primary treatment of large varicose veins, it is most often used to treat visible spider veins and small varicose veins near the surface of the skin. Peninsula Vascular Center, located in San Mateo County, California and neighboring Palo Alto and Menlo Park, provides professional sclerotherapy treatment..
How It Works
This technique involves injecting special sclerosing agents, drugs that cause diseased veins to collapse and be reabsorbed secondary to an inflammatory response, a mechanism different than that of heat ablation. We inject the sclerosing solution through a superfine needle, even smaller in diameter than those used for acupuncture. We employ magnification and a special light source to aid in precise vein localization. The injected solution targets the vein lining causing veins to shrink and collapse. As with laser ablation, the body gradually reabsorbs the treated veins.
What You Can Expect
Veins will gradually lighten after each sclerotherapy session. You may notice immediate improvement in the appearance of red and blue spider veins, with continued improvement over the next several months. Some bruising and transient skin staining can occur following treatment. It is important to remember that treatment will not prevent new spider veins from developing. You may find that you need touch up treatments as new veins appear. Potential side effects of treatment are minimal and serious complications rare.
Sclerotherapy treatments are used primarily for leg veins and are not indicated for facial veins. For facial veins, see Broadband Pulsed Light Treatment. Dr. Lewis can discuss these options with you during your consultation.