Sclerotherapy

Patients with spider and varicose veins on their legs and thighs should schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. During the appointment, you will be evaluated to see if sclerotherapy is appropriate in your case. If our sclerotherapy treatment is not the right method for the removal of your spider and varicose veins, there are other alternatives such as laser treatments, surgical stripping, and radiofrequency treatments that may be the right answer for your condition.

Sclerotherapy is a cosmetic treatment that is performed as an outpatient procedure. During your private sclerotherapy treatment session in one of our minor procedure rooms, a sclerosing chemical solution will be injected (using a fine needle) into each spider or varicose vein you want to eliminate.  Your plastic surgeon will use pressure during the injection. You may feel slight pain or a cramping sensation during the injection. Once your injection session is complete, you will be asked to wear compression garments on the treated area for as long it is recommended by your plastic surgeon. Compression garments will apply continuous pressure on the medicated veins and will speed up the process of collapsing the vein. You should see noticeable improvements in 2 – 3 weeks and the vein should be gone within 6 weeks.

Once you are home recovering, you may see common side effects of the sclerotherapy treatment. Patients report to having some skin irritation, itching, and bruising at the injection site. If you feel like you are experiencing abnormal side effects, please call our office as a precaution. It is also very important to watch for allergic reactions to the sclerosing solution and blood clots. Severe complications will need to be reported and treated immediately.