Injection Sclerotherapy

Can be used to treat some varicose and nearly all spider veins. An extremely fine needle is used to inject the vein with a solution which shrinks the vein.

Spider veins cannot be removed through surgery. Sometimes, they disappear when the larger varicose veins feeding the spider veins are removed. Remaining spider veins also can be treated with sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy uses a fine needle to inject a solution directly into the vein. This solution irritates the lining of the vein, causing it to swell and the blood to clot. The vein turns into scar tissue that fades from view. Some doctors treat both varicose and spider veins with sclerotherapy. Today, the substances most commonly used in the United States are hypertonic saline or Sotradecol (sodium tetradecyl sulfate). Polidocanol (aethoxyskerol) is undergoing FDA testing but has not yet been approved in the U.S. for sclerotherapy.

During sclerotherapy, after the solution is injected, the vein's surrounding tissue is generally wrapped in compression bandages for several days, causing the vein walls to stick together. Patients whose legs have been treated are put on walking regimens, which forces the blood to flow into other veins and prevents blood clots. This method and variations of it have been used since the 1920's. In most cases, more than one treatment session will be required.

Conditions treated include Varicose Veins and Spider Veins.