What are varicose and spider veins?
Both men and women can have significant varicose veins, or venous insufficiency. Symptoms include pain, aching, heaviness, fatigue, swelling, burning, and itching and are often worse at the end of the day or at night. Varicose veins are abnormally dilated veins that sometimes protrude on the skin surface. Spider veins are smaller versions of varicose veins and can be found along the leg, ankles and around the knees. These are often hereditary and can be exacerbated by pregnancy and prolonged standing. If untreated, they may progress to skin changes and ulceration.

What treatments are available and what do they entail?
Spider Vein Treatment: Utilizing the treatment known as Sclerotherapy, the surgery consists of injecting a sclerosing agent into the veins. The solution irritates the lining of the vein, causing it to swell and stick together. Over time, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades from view One injection is used for every inch of vein. Depending on the size of the vein problem, the number of injections can range anywhere from around five to 50.

Laser Spider treatments are typically used for facial spider veins which are too small and close to the skin’s surface to be effectively treated with sclerotherapy, a laser is used for treatment. a laser is applied to the skin over your spider veins. Laser energy causes your spider veins to coagulate and shrink. Laser therapy is most effective for small and medium size spider veins. Large spider veins respond poorly and are best treated with sclerotherapy.

What is the procedure like?
With Sclerotherapy, the needles used are very small and most patients will feel just a slight prick from the needle and a mild burning sensation from the sclerosing solution being injected. Most patients are not terribly bothered by the discomfort. Acetaminophen may be taken as needed.

With laser treatment of spider veins, you are likely to experience mild discomfort similar to having a small rubber band snapping against skin. Treatments usually do not require sedatives, pain medications, or injections of local anesthetic.

What is the recovery time?
After the treatment you will be able to drive yourself home. You may resume your regular activities and are encouraged to walk. You will be instructed to wear support hosiery or compression wraps to “compress” the treated vessels. Support items can be purchased through One U or at any specialty pharmacy. Support stockings purchased from a department store may not be adequate if a heavy compression stocking is prescribed. The final effects of the treatment are usually seen within six weeks for smaller veins and within 8-9 weeks for larger veins.

How permanent is the result?
Studies have shown that as many as 50-80% of injected veins may be eliminated with each session of sclerotherapy.
Less than 10% of the people who have sclerotherapy do not respond to the injections at all. In these instances, you should ask your doctor about other options. Although this procedure works for most patients, there are no guarantees for success.

If the problem veins are thoroughly reviewed and treated appropriately, the affect of sclerotherapy lasts for approximately two years. After two years, there may be some recurrence, but it usually is never as bad as the initial presentation. The veins that may return also can be treated with sclerotherapy.