Sclerotherapy
The safe, reliable and successful treatment to remove thread veins on legs
Sclerotherapy is a safe and well established treatment for thread veins of the legs. It has been used for more than fifty years.
Sclerotherapy is the only reliable and successful treatment for leg veins. Thread veins are unsightly, small or very small, abnormally dilated blood vessels. They are red/blue in colour and lie very close to the surface of the skin. Treatment involves injecting a solution using a very tiny needle, superficially into the veins (it is not painful). This causes the lining of the vein to become sticky and swell.
A compression dressing is then applied. Compression is very important as it helps to provide a better long term result. Improvement in the veins can usually be seen at six to eight weeks. For best results at least two sessions are necessary.
Consultation
- Detailed discussion of your observations and wishes
- Thorough examination
- Holistic assessment of your health
- Diagnosis
- Discussion of treatment options
- Personalised treatment plan
- Treatment
FAQs
Sclerotherapy is an injection procedure to treat thread veins. The procedure involves injection of a sterile solution (called a sclerosing solution) into the small veins using a very fine needle. This solution irritates the vein lining causing it to undergo fibrosis and eventually disappear. Many veins are injected at each session.
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Thread veins are most common in women in the age groups 30-50. They may occur during hormone fluctuations of pregnancy and menopause . Thread veins look like a network of small veins. These pink and purple veins usually appear in a lattice pattern and are completely harmless.
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The thread veins are destroyed by injecting a small amount of a sclerosing solution into the vein. The sclerosing solution used may be either polidocanol (Sclerovein) or sodium tetradecylsulfate (Fibrovein). The chemical irritates the small vein and causes it to undergo fibrosis and eventually disappear.
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The treatment of large varicose veins is a little different than for thread veins. The technique of ‘ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy‘ uses a foamed sclerosant to treat large varicose veins. It has been shown to be a safe and effective method of treating varicose veins leading to long term freedom from troublesome veins.
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It varies from individual to individual but typically 2-4 treatments are required for the best results. In patients with a few veins, 1-2 sessions will suffice. More treatments are required where veins are more numerous and extensive.
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There is a little sting associated with each injection which lasts few seconds. Most individuals tolerate the procedure and do not require any type of anesthesia. The majority of patients claim that the procedure is much less than painful than they anticipated.
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