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Leg Vein Treatment
Sclerotherapy:
large veins
Laser:
small veins
What veins are
treated with Sclerotherapy?
 In
larger blood vessels (usually greater
than 3 millimeters), a procedure called sclerotherapy is used to treat unwanted
blood vessels. A solution, called a
sclerosing solution, is injected with a
very fine needle directly into the blood
vessel. This procedure has been used for
spider veins since the 1932 and, before
that, for larger veins. The solution
irritates the lining of the vessel,
causing it to swell and stick together
and the blood to clot. Over a period of
weeks, the vessel turns into scar tissue
that fades, eventually becoming barely
noticeable or invisible. A single blood
vessel may have to be injected more than
once, some weeks apart, depending on its
size. In any one treatment session, a
number of vessels can be injected.
Occasionally larger varicose veins are
underneath the spider veins. In such
cases, some physicians believe these
vessels should be treated before the
spider veins. This can be done by
sclerotherapy, followed by compression
or by a procedure performed by a
vascular surgeon. Other physicians
believe that spider veins may be treated
by sclerotherapy without worrying about
the varicose veins unless they become
troublesome.
How successful is Sclerotherapy?
After several
treatments, most patients can expect a
50 to 90 percent improvement. However,
the fading process is gradual. Total
disappearance of spider veins is usually
achieved. For people with mostly very
small spider veins, a laser can also be
used with good results. Often a
combination of sclerotherapy and laser
treatments yields the best outcome.
Can sclerotherapy be used on all skin
types?
Yes. All skin types and skin colors
respond equally well.
Key Benefits:
- Relatively painless
- Good for larger blood vessels
- No down time
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What leg veins are treated with
the laser?
Generally smaller veins (less
than 3mm) are treated with the
Versapulse Laser. Also known as
"spider veins", these thin,
reddish-purple veins affect as
many as 80% of all women as they
grow older, and a large
percentage of men, too. The
cause is largely genetic,
although other culprits include
pregnancy, childbirth, use of
birth-control pills,
estrogen-replacement therapy,
previous injury, and use of
corticosteroids.
In
the past, only sclerotherapy was
available for treatment of these
small vessels. Unfortunately,
there was little you could do
about spider veins, but now
laser technology has
revolutionized treatment so that
many spider veins can be
virtually erased.
 The
VersaPulse® Aesthetic Laser
produces short, adjustable
pulses of light to treat a wide
range of vessel diameters at
various skin depths. The
adjustable pulses minimize the
risk of the purplish bruising (purpura)
that is a common side effect of
other lasers.
The
special VersaSpot® Chilled Tip
cools the skin during treatment,
enhancing patient comfort.
Laser treatments for leg vessels
depend on the quantity, size,
and depth of the spider veins.
Most patients need between three
and five 30-minute sessions.
Sessions are usually spaced 4-6
weeks apart and are performed in
the doctor's office without the
costs and risks of
hospitalization or general
anesthesia.
It
is important that you are not
tanned or tanning when taking
these treatments. Please call
for more information.
The
laser treatment itself feels
like numerous small snaps with a
rubber band or tiny pin pricks.
Many patients do not require
anesthesia during the procedure,
but topical or local anesthesia
is provided for those who do.
The
appearance of the treated area
immediately after a laser
session will vary from patient
to patient depending on the
extent of treatment. Immediate
side-effects, if any, are minor.
They may include redness, light
crusting, or tenderness, all of
which disappear in a short time. |
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