Sclerotherapy for Spider Veins

Spider veins are a common concern for both men and women. Fortunately, these clusters of small, web-like veins can be easily treated with sclerotherapy, a minimally invasive treatment option that uses an injectable medicine to cause them to close and fade from view.

What Are Spider Veins?

Spider veins are blue, red or purplish veins that are visible beneath the skin’s surface. They are smaller than varicose veins and often resemble tree branches or spider webs that spread out in small clusters. Unlike larger veins that twist and bulge outward, spider veins are more superficial and don’t typically cause symptoms like pain, itching or swelling.

Spider veins most commonly appear on the legs and face, and may be caused by a number of factors, including aging, genetics, pregnancy, prolonged sitting or standing, obesity and sun exposure. While generally harmless, spider veins may indicate an underlying problem such as venous insufficiency, which occurs when faulty valves allow the blood to pool.

Spider Vein Sclerotherapy

At Vascular and Interventional Partners, we’re committed to helping patients eliminate their spider veins as quickly and easily as possible. One of the most effective treatment options is sclerotherapy, which involves injecting a specialized solution into the affected blood vessels. Treated veins collapse and are reabsorbed by the body so they’re no longer visible. This technique has been the preferred nonsurgical treatment for spider veins since the 1930s.

How Is Sclerotherapy Performed?

Sclerotherapy is a quick and simple in-office treatment. It typically takes less than an hour to complete and requires no anesthesia, downtime or recovery. During your appointment, a small needle is used to inject a sclerosing agent directly into the affected veins. This solution is an irritant that causes the blood vessel walls to swell and close shut. As a result, treated veins collapse, lighten in color and disappear within a few weeks. Afterward, you’ll be able to return home immediately and resume all normal activities with few restrictions.

What to Expect After Treatment

After your appointment, the irritating sclerosing solution starts to work immediately to close and seal unwanted spider veins. However, noticeable results will develop over the following month. Treated veins will begin to lighten in color and fade from view as they’re reabsorbed by the body. Although this is a gradual process, you can expect to see a dramatic improvement in three to six weeks. Smaller veins usually respond quicker to treatment, while larger varicose veins may take more time to disappear — up to four months in some cases.

Sclerotherapy doesn’t require any downtime, but you may notice some minor bruising, redness or irritation in treated areas. This is normal and typically subsides within a few days. Generally, all normal activities can be resumed after treatment, with the exception of strenuous exercise. Patients are encouraged to walk to promote increased blood flow. To further improve blood flow and encourage the veins to close up quicker, compression stockings should also be worn for five to seven days after your appointment.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

The number of treatments you’ll need to see your desired results may vary depending on the size, number and severity of your spider veins. However, multiple sclerotherapy sessions are typically needed to achieve the full benefit. Most people receive between two and five treatments over the span of several months to see near-complete results. During your initial appointment, our vascular and interventional specialists will develop a personalized sclerotherapy plan tailored to your unique needs.

How Long Do Sclerotherapy Results Last?

The results of sclerotherapy are permanent. Once treated veins collapse and disappear, they are absorbed by the body and won’t return. However, sclerotherapy cannot prevent new veins from growing. To minimize your risk of developing more spider veins, our team can provide you with lifestyle tips, further treatments and other health solutions to maintain your results.

Keeping Spider Veins at Bay

There are a few things you can do at home to help reduce your risk of developing or worsening varicose and spider veins. Some suggestions include the following:

Maintain a healthy weight to relieve pressure on the legs, feet and knees.
Walk and exercise regularly to improve circulation.
Wear sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage, which can worsen the appearance of spider veins, especially on the face.
Use compression stockings to help prevent new spider veins from forming.
Avoiding sitting or standing for long periods of time without a break.
Limit the use of hot tubs and saunas.

Eliminate Spider Veins Today

Vascular and Interventional Partners in Phoenix, Arizona, is committed to helping people eliminate unwanted spider veins with the most effective treatment options available. If you’d like to learn more about sclerotherapy or schedule your appointment today, call us today at {phone} to speak to one of our vascular specialists and get started.

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Frequently Asked Questions

In short, no. IVC filter placement is a minimally invasive procedure. It involves local anesthesia, X-ray imaging, and catheters to help guide the IVC filter into the IVC. Most patients are able to get an IVC filter on an outpatient basis and recovery rates are quick since there is no need for general anesthesia and large incisions to open the abdomen.

Before your scheduled appointment, you may need to undergo medical tests so we can prepare you for your procedure. We may need to check your kidney functioning and see how your blood clots. Tell your doctor whether you are on any medications or taking supplements as certain drugs can increase the risk of bleeding. You may need to fast in the hours leading up to your procedure, and it is a good idea to arrange for someone to drive you home.

You will like supine on the operating table as the nurses give you IV sedation and connect you to monitors that track your vitals. Your doctor will administer local anesthesia and make a small incision, usually in the thigh. They will insert a thin tube (catheter) into the cut and through a large vein to reach the IVC. They will use X-ray imaging and contrast dye to check the movement of the catheter. Once in place, they will release a collapsed IVC filter from the catheter, which will expand and attach to the vein walls.

Once your procedure is completed, you will be transferred to the recovery room where nurses will look at your vitals and check for signs of problems. After a couple of hours, you will be discharged with instructions on how to continue your recovery at home. Most patients can resume their usual activities on the next day. You may feel mild soreness at the treatment site or experience minor bruising.

IVC filters are highly effective, with research showing that PE occurs in only about 1.3% of treated cases. IVC filters can occasionally fail, however. Filter migration or tilting can happen in a very small number of cases, and some patients may develop blood clots around the filter itself.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends removing IVC filters after one to two months. This is usually enough time for the threat of PE to pass and for doctors to find an alternative solution for patients at risk of blood clots. Leaving an IVC filter for longer makes removal more challenging. Some patients may need the filter in for longer periods to ensure safety.

Sclerotherapy for Spider Veins