SPIDER VEIN INJECTIONS
Schlerotherapy of spider veins is a procedure designed to decrease the visibility of unsightly spider veins commonly found on legs. Spider veins are also occasionally found on other areas of the body. The procedure involves the injection of a medication into each of the involved veins that "closes" the vein so it is no longer visible. We have found patient satisfaction with the procedure to be high as long as the patient understands the following important information about the procedure.
All of these points will be addressed with you on your consultation and we welcome any questions you may have.
1. The treatment of spider veins of the lower extremities may require more than one series of injections.
The doctor will give you an idea of the number of treatments that might be required, but an individual patient's response to the treatment cannot be guaranteed.
2. You will need to purchase compression hose and bring them to your treatment session. We recommend Jobst ultra sheer 15-20mm Hg or another brand with similar degree of compression. You
should leave these on for 24 hours. You will put these on immediately after your treatment.
3. Please DO NOT apply moisturizer or other creams to your legs on the day of your injections. You may shave prior to the injections.
4. The injections are performed with you lying down. You will feel some slight discomfort from the fine
needle sticks, the number of which will be determined by the number of veins requiring treatment.
The medicine may cause mild discomfort on injections.
5. The average treatment session takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
6. You may feel some cramping in your legs for the first day or two after the injections.
7. The veins will look worse before they look better. By this we mean there will be some bruising at the
injections sites which will decrease over time. In many cases, there may be some residual brownish
pigmentation, which gradually fades over a period of one year.
8. In rare cases, the skin overlying the vein can be injured resulting in a wound that on healing will leave a
scar.
9. Walking is encouraged after injections.
10. Avoid prolonged sitting and standing, and pounding type exercises. You should avoid squatting or
heavy lifting after injections.
11. Over time, you may develop new spider veins. These can be treated as well. Rarely, a person may
develop a mat of very fine spider veins as a response to the treatment. If this occurs, it can sometimes
be treated with injections and in other cases with a laser.
12. Unlike varicose veins, spider veins are considered a cosmetic problem and treatment is not covered by
insurance. If, after evaluation, the doctor feels you have true varicose veins, she may decline to treat you and will refer you to a vascular surgeon.