Sclerotherapy: Effective Varicose Vein Treatment
Sclerotherapy dates back to the 1600’s but was made popular in European medical communities in the 1960’s. “Sclero” means ‘hard’ in Greek. This is essentially what happens to a treated vein before it is reabsorbed by the body. Sclerotherapy involves injecting the diseased vein with a medication that causes an irritation or inflammation inside the affected vein. The ultimate response of the body is to shut down that vein so that it no longer functions.
Images on right: (top) ultrasound guided sclerotherapy;
(middle) sclerosing agent injected in vein;
(bottom) vein begins to disappear.
Immediately, other routes for blood flow are found through healthier surrounding veins. In addition, your body is continually making new veins as needed. Treatment will not worsen your circulation. In fact, Sclerotherapy actually improves it because the ineffective varicosed veins are no longer used, allowing the healthy, efficient veins to take over. It’s also important for you to know that you have thousands of veins in your legs and that injecting the varicosed ones is generally very safe.
What to Expect after Varicose Vein Treatment
A treated vein becomes hard and sore to the touch over the weeks following sclerotherapy. As the body starts using alternative routes for blood flow, any aching or tiredness that was felt as a result of varicose vein disease should get better. The cosmetic appearance of the veins takes longer to improve. It takes patience. Typically, people that receive treatment in the fall will see noticeable results by the next summer.
With a proper vein assessment your doctor will have determined if there are any veins not visible to the naked eye that are causing the appearance of the veins on the surface. The great saphenous vein (GSV), which extends from your groin, down the inside of you leg to your ankle is often the culprit. Similarly, the short saphenous vein (SSV) which runs from behind your knee down your calf muscle can cause trouble. If either of these two larger veins have malfunctioning valves, they need to be treated first. If not, the more shallow spider and varicose veins that are connected to these two veins will remain under high pressure and be forced open again from the backflow of blood, even with sclerotherapy. Treatment is not effective unless the underlying cause is dealt with first.
If the GSV or the SSV are contributing to the visible spider or varicose veins they can be treated using sclerotherapy as well. This time, the duplex scanner is needed to guide the injection of the medication. Once these two veins have been dealt with, your doctor can proceed to treat the visible veins.
For more information on venous disease:
- What Causes Varicose Veins?
- Varicose Veins Demistified
- Sclerotherapy and Venous Disease Questions and Answers (Q&A)
For a safe and private assessment of your varicose veins, consult an expert medical doctor at Lakeshore Vein & Aesthetics Clinic, located in Kelowna, BC, Canada.