If you’re dealing with varicose veins or spider veins, a simple and minimally invasive treatment can reduce or eliminate them and give you back the smooth legs you love to show off in beach season. Sclerotherapy is a fast and effective outpatient treatment that targets problem veins and breaks them down without surgery or incisions. It’s one of the many treatments for your cardiovascular health we offer at Cardiac Associates of North Jersey in Oakland, New Jersey.
A medical treatment designed to eliminate varicose or spider veins, it uses a needle to inject a solution into the veins that irritates the inner lining of the vein. This causes the vein to slowly break down, letting the hardened blood that causes dark veins be absorbed by the rest of the body. Instead of removing the veins, it breaks them down and naturally absorbs them by encouraging sclerotization.
Sclerotherapy is a solution ideal for anyone who wants to eliminate varicose or spider veins without surgery or any downtime or recovery period. As long as you aren’t pregnant and don’t have a history of blood clots, it will work and has a higher success rate than laser treatment on spider veins. The ideal candidate will have moderate to severe buildup of spider veins or smaller varicose veins on their legs and be in overall good health.
Health issues that can prevent the treatment from being administered safely include cardiovascular disease or a history of heart surgery. If you have any allergies, make sure your doctor knows about them to rule out any possible allergic reactions before your first treatment.
This varies depending on the size of the veins and the extent of spider vein spreads. Most clients take two to four treatment sessions to get to near-complete results. While complete elimination of the veins is not guaranteed, most clients will see significant improvement in the weeks after the first treatment. Sessions should be scheduled several weeks to a month apart to let the treatment work and ensure full healing before another injection.
In the days after your treatment, you’ll see the dark tones of the vein begin fading. This is a gradual process over several weeks or months, depending on the severity of the vein buildup. Progress will start immediately after the injection and work slowly until your next treatment, with each injection kick-starting the healing process.
Optimal results will happen after two to four treatments, with most patients achieving over 80% elimination of the targeted spider or varicose veins.
At your first appointment, your doctor will examine the veins and take your full medical history. Once you’re cleared to start treatment, you’ll be advised on pre-treatment prep. As sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive outpatient treatment, minimal prep is needed beyond keeping your legs clean and free of any foreign substances like lotion.
At your appointment, your doctor will use a thin needle to inject the solution directly into the targeted vein. This should be no more painful than an immunization or blood test. A topical numbing agent will be available to make you more comfortable, if desired.
After your treatment, your doctor will apply a small protective bandage over the treated area, similar to after a shot or blood test. You may see some minor bruising in the day after the treatment, but you shouldn’t encounter any significant pain or discomfort. You will be free to resume normal activities immediately after treatment with no recovery or downtime.
You will be advised to wear compression stockings in the days after your treatment, as this will speed up the effectiveness of the treatment and prevent blood clots. If you experience any pain after the treatment, contact your doctor for a follow-up. At future appointments, your doctor will check on the progress of the treatment before setting up future treatments.
Twenty to forty percent of patients see significant results after one treatment, with sixty to eighty percent seeing near-complete results after a series of treatments. Some veins that have been hardened for a long time may require additional treatments.
For large webs of spider veins or thicker varicose veins, laser treatments or a combination of both treatments have shown good results.
The results of the treatment are permanent, with the veins being destroyed and absorbed back into the body. These veins won’t darken or return, but the treatment won’t stop new veins from growing. Your doctor can advise you on personal health steps to reduce the risk of varicose and spider veins, and the treatment can be repeated as needed to target new veins before they get bigger.
Sclerotherapy is a fast, minimally-invasive treatment for eliminating spider and varicose veins, performed at our offices by a trained cardiovascular specialist. It’s a perfect choice for a lunch-hour treatment that will eliminate those dark veins without scarring. Contact Cardiac Associates of North Jersey in Oakland, NJ for more information on our services or to set up a consultation today.
43 Yawpo Ave
Oakland, NJ 07436
Phone: 201-337-0066
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: Closed
