Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure that treats varicose veins, usually on your legs. The procedure involves your healthcare provider using a needle to inject a special solution into your varicose vein or spider vein. This chemical solution reacts with your blood vessel lining, making it expand, stick together and form a scar. This closes off your vein, resulting to a better feeling and look.
Who Is Sclerotherapy for?
Sclerotherapy is done for people that have varicose veins [1] or spider veins [2], but it is not for everyone.
A vascular specialist will meet with you before the procedure to evaluate your condition and decide if you qualify for sclerotherapy.
Some factors that make you not qualify for sclerotherapy include:
- If you have an active deep vein thrombosis [3] or superficial vein thrombosis [4] (blood clot).
- If you are breast feeding
- If you are pregnant. You’ll have to wait at least three months after delivery before you can have sclerotherapy.
- Unable to get out of bed.
Sclerotherapy is still an option even for those who use birth control.
Depending on what caused the blood clot and how bad it was, you might be allowed to undergo sclerotherapy if you’ve previously experienced one.
Most of the time, unless the vein is already useless, your doctor won’t perform sclerotherapy on a vein that you might require for future surgical bypass treatments, like the saphenous vein for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
You should discuss with your doctor how effective they believe the sclerotherapy treatment will be for you. Those with high aspirations can find their outcomes disappointing. Being prepared can save you from experiencing disappointment. Additionally, you should be aware that results take time. You won’t exactly become a leg model immediately.