Sclerotherapy

It is one of the common treatments for varicose veins. A sclerosing/irritant solution is injected to the target site where the varicose veins are present. The sclerosing solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel causing the vein to swell and stick together. Over time, the venous blemishes turn into scar tissue and may disappear. The number of veins treated in one session will be decided by your dermatologist based on the size and location of the veins. There will be a two-week interval between first and second treatments and then a 1-month period to assess response.

In micro-injection sclerotherapy, tiny needles are used to inject a sclerosing solution into the abnormal tiny veins to close off the vein.

Sclerotherapy slowly clears leg veins and may be completely resolved in two to six months, depending on the vessel size.

Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy: Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy technique involves injecting a sclerosing substance, a mild detergent solution, directly into the varicose vein using a very fine needle. The procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes. An ultrasound is used to track the foam which makes sure that foam enters the varicose veins and not normal veins. The target veins are compressed by bandage and a surgical stocking is placed over this bandage. The sclerosing solution irritates the lining of the blood vessel causing the vein to swell and stick together. Over time, the venous blemishes turn into scar tissue and may disappear. The advantages of using Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy is that it requires no incision, less time for recovery, no scar formation and does not require an overnight stay in the hospital.