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The
Effect
Sclerotherapy is now widely used today by a lot of plastic
surgeons for the treatment of spider veins. This simple
procedure entails injecting a sclerosing solution to the
veins thus causing them to collapse and fade from view.
Symptoms associated with spider veins such as aching,
burning, swelling, and night cramps may also be treated by
this procedure.
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The
Procedure
Sclerotherapy may last for only about 15 to 45 minutes
which is somewhat quick. The physician or the nurse injects
the sclerosing agent into the affected veins while the other
hand is used to stretch out the skin making it taut. To
make certain the utmost accuracy of this procedure, a bright
indirect light, as well as excellent magnification is
utilized.
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Best
Candidates
Commonly, women ages 30 to 60 are the best candidates,
although women of any age can undergo this procedure.
Spider veins in men are very rare and even if they do have
spider veins, it does not pose any problem on them since the
veins are usually covered by hair on their legs. Still,
this procedure is just as effective for men who want to
undergo treatment.
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Treatments
Time required for this procedure is usually about 15 to 45
minutes with no use of anesthesia.
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Side Effects
There is the possibility of the formation of clots in the
deep veins of the legs.
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Recovery Time
Sclerotherapy gives no significant limitation in daily
living activities. On the other hand, leg-baring outfits
should be avoided for about two weeks.
A second series of injections on the same site may be
performed after a one-month healing interval. Further
improvement in a patient's legs after each treatment is more
noticeable.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q: What
is sclerotherapy? Can this be an alternative to surgery?
A:
Sclerotherapy involves injecting of a sclerosing solution to
dilated veins and spider blemishes. This treatment is
precisely put together to result in the vanishing of dilated
veins and spider blemishes without doing any damage to the
normal healthy veins, skin, and other tissues. The needles
used in this procedure are the finest and of highest quality
and strict asepsis is practiced, making sure that everything
is disposed of right after use.
However, sclerotherapy is not an alternative to surgery.
Make sure that you ask questions and seek first the opinion
of a qualified specialist if you have read or are told
otherwise. Be cautious of “echosclerotherapy” or
“ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy”. They may be high-tech
sounding words but these are not sophisticated procedures
known only by a privileged few. When surgical intervention
is necessary, these procedures are not legitimate
alternative treatments.
Varicose veins and spider veins are treated by a lot of
cosmetic dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and trained
medical doctors being a part of their overall practice.
They provide the highest quality of care to their patients
although they also refer patients they know can be helped
more by qualified associates.
Q: Is
treatment needed?
A:
Varicose veins and spider veins are abnormal and unless they
are treated, these will not disappear. Complications such
as skin discoloration, sores, bleeding, ankle swelling, and
phlebitis may occur if varicose veins are left unchecked.
Spider veins that are not related to varicose veins remain a
cosmetic problem; however, some patients do complain of
discomfort from this for no other obvious reason. Most
people choose not to have their varicose veins treated if
they are not experiencing any pain or discomfort. On the
other hand, in cases where complications develop, treatment
of these complications may be too late as they cannot be
reversed any more.
Q: Drugs
are being used to inject veins during the procedure, is it
possible to have allergic reactions with this treatment?
A:
It is very seldom that allergic reactions to sclerotherapy
occur as the drug used is generally trapped in the local
area of injection. In exceptional cases, there is the
possibility of life-threatening events such as respiratory
or vascular collapse (anaphylaxis); however, if it does
happen, the doctor is skilled enough to manage the symptoms
with methods that are effective in handling the situation.
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