Sclerotherapy

Leg Vein Treatment - Sclerotherapy

Spider veins of the legs are a very common disorder in both men and women, but are much more common in women. The major cause is thought to be hereditary, but changing estrogen and progesterone levels along with puberty, birth control pills, and pregnancy may initiate spider vein development. Other contributory causes are local leg trauma and tight girdles. These veins are not part of the normal circulatory system and serve no purpose for oxygenation of the skin. They can, however, cause a burning sensation or dull ache in the leg. The only thing that may help prevent the development of spider veins is wearing support stockings. Additional new spider veins will continue to occur with aging.

The gold standard for treating spider veins is sclerotherapy. It has been in widespread use for the past 25 years. Despite the development of laser and light treatment systems, head to head clinical studies show that sclerotherapy works more quickly, requires fewer treatments, has a lower side effect profile, and is less expensive than laser.

The principle of sclerotherapy involves injection of a sclerosing solution into each spider vein. A very thin needle is threaded into the vein, and the solution is injected. The solution irritates the vessel wall, and as healing occurs, the vessels stick together. Over the next several weeks, the vessel seals itself, lightens in color, and disappears. Most patients require repeat treatments six to eight weeks later for optimal clearing. New veins may develop over the next few years, but this varies greatly from patient to patient.

Sclerotherapy does cause some stinging locally, but the use of ice packs over the treated area helps to limit the discomfort. An immediate welt will form and a small bruise occurs at the injection site. Occasionally, a brown discoloration can be seen during the healing process due to iron in the red blood cells. These will fade in time. Approximately one-third of patients develop fine red blood vessels called collaterals around the injection site. These may fade spontaneously in some patients but may require repeat injections on a future visit.

Dr. Caserio has been doing sclerotherapy for over 20 years and was one of the very first physicians in the Pittsburgh area to offer this procedure. We continue to have tremendous success with this “gold standard” of spider vein treatment.