Sclerotherapy – varicose veins Treatment
The procedure of sclerotherapy is often used as a way to medically treat varicose veins. This procedure involves injecting a solution inside the varicose veins. The needle used for injection has to be fine and the solution injected is called sclerosing agent or sclerosing substance.
There are some strict restrictions regarding which kind of substance must be used. A new kind of solution is under research and FDA testing; however, it has not yet been approved by the concerned authorities of United States.
After the injection of the solution, compression bandages are wrapped around the area that has been treated. These compression bandages are kept on for several days. Those people who get the treatment done on their legs have to use walking regimes for some time.
The problem with sclerotherapy is that it can treat only small veins. For those people who are infected with large varicose veins, sclerotherapy will not be helpful.
Secondly, this treatment does not guarantee that the symptoms of varicose veins will not develop again or more varicose veins will not develop. That is why is doctors recommend continuing home care techniques to prevent varicose veins from developing again.
There also some risks and side effects of getting the sclerotherapy treatment. Most patients develop a kind of dark discoloration of their skin on the area where the varicose veins were injected. This occurs because the red blood cells in the veins disintegrate when they are injected. Around 10 to 30% patients suffer from this problem but fortunately, the discoloration fades away within a period of six months.
About 20% of patients can develop spider veins around the area that was injected for treating varicose veins. Spider veins are somewhat similar to varicose veins. However, the spider veins will also fade away within a time period of six months.
The other complications that could result from sclerotherapy are allergic reactions to the solution that is injected. There are some people who could develop severe allergic reaction to the kind of substance that is used.
Other problems include the burning of skin or stinging, ulcers might also develop around the area treated, inflammation, and discoloration of skin that could turn out to be permanent. In the small veins that are on surface, blood clots may also occur.
The last question concerning patients is whether or not sclerotherapy is a safe technique for all? The medical treatment of sclerotherapy is safe for almost all people but there are some people who should avoid getting treated by sclerotherapy.
Especially, those people who cannot walk, also called non-ambulatory, should avoid the treatment. Other people who have a higher risk of developing complications include those who are obese, have blood clots in their deeper veins, have the risk of developing allergy because of sclerosing agents, are pregnant, and/or have an obstruction in the artery close to varicose veins due to the blood flow being blocked.