Treatment for Unwanted Leg Thread Veins

Sclerotherapy is a treatment that  effectively treats  spider thread veins (telengectasia) on the legs.  The treatment involves injecting an irritant solution directly into the damaged veins. The sclerotherapy solution causes the vein to reduce its blood flow and the vein collapses which is reabsorbed into local tissue and eventually fades away.  During this process the veins may go darker and gradually improve over a period of 4-6 weeks.  In some cases may need more than one treatment session. 

Why have Sclerotherapy ?

Sclerotherapy is often done for Cosmetic purposes  to improve the appearance of varicose and spider veins 

This procedure can also improve  symptoms of : 

Aching legs 

Swelling 

Burning 

Night Cramps

How does Sclerotherapy work? 

Depends upon the severity of your veins, Sclerotherapy treatment can take up to 30-minutes. When treating your legs you will be asked to lie down .Your leg will be cleaned and then the targeted vein will be injected with an sclerosing agent via a fine needle. During this process the spider veins will immediately reacted to the agent by disappearing and then return slightly darker. This means the damaged vein has been coated with the sclerosing agent, causing the vein to seal shut  and over a  period of time  will begin to be reabsorbed and the veins will  go lighter. You may need more than one session with the average being 3- 6 sessions spaced over a period of time.

Sclerosing agents commonly used for Sclerotherapy are

Polidocanol - Sclerovein 

Sodium tetradecyl Sulfate - Fibrovein 

Treatment process 

After a full medical consultation and to ensure your suitability , an appointment will be made for you to  return to the clinic for the procedure.  After consent to the treatment and a  photo of the veins  has been been  taken , Your treated areas will be cleansed  and the sclerosing agent will be injected into the spider veins.  The treatment is relatively pain free and comfortable. Once completed you will  have compression socks or stocking applied.  

Possible risks  and side effects

During the sclerotherapy treatment , you may experience minor cramping, stinging or burning in the injected vein . The procedure may be uncomfortable if the sclerosing agent leaks into the surrounding tissues. 

Common  side effects may occur at the injection site such as : 

Raised red areas

Bruising 

Stinging

Skin discolouration

Multiple tiny red blood vessels 

Small skin sores 

These common side effects generally subside over a few days,. Any brown skin discolouration that develop near the treatment area , these normally take up to 3-6 months to disappear. In some cases this side effect may last longer or even be  permanent. However,  In the majority of cases these dark spots do fade. 

Rare Side effects that  require further treatment

Inflammation . this is generally mild but may cause swelling and you may be advised to take an over the counter pain reliever such as aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation.

Blood Clot . This is very rare when treating spider veins .A blood clot may form in the treated vein that may require further treatment. Rarely, a blood clot that forms will travel to a deeper vein in your leg, known as a Deep Vein Thrombosis .

The Deep vein thrombosis will cause you pain, swelling of your leg and difficulty in putting pressure on foot when walking. This requires immediate medical treatment and does carry a risk of  a Pulmonary Embolism which is when a blood clot reaches the lungs. Any shortness of breath, pain in chest or coughing up blood streaked sputum please call 999 

Ulceration of the skin around the injection site

Allergic reaction to the sclerosing agent 

Post treatment 

There is little downtime associated with Sclerotherapy. and you may resume normal activities straight away. 

Wear the compression stocking for 5-7  days. Individual advice will be given on day of treatment 

Avoid strenuous activities such as the gym or swimming  immediately after treatment. May resume after a week once the injection sites have healed.  

Try not to stand for long periods but walking is encouraged 

Raise legs up when sitting 

Advised not to fly for 2 weeks after treatment 

A follow up appointment after 4 -6 weeks . However any concerns please call the clinic.

If have Larger Varicose veins, then will be referred to a Vascular Surgeon 

Treatment result may vary from person to person.