Visual Sclerotherapy

What is Visual Sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy eliminates smaller varicose and spider veins through the injection of an FDA-approved drug solution that causes closure of the veins. The solution is injected directly into the affected veins, where it causes the vein walls to seal together. The vein is eventually reabsorbed by the body while blood is rerouted through healthy veins nearby. While Sclerotherapy is covered by some insurance companies for the treatment of varicose veins, it is not covered for the treatment of spider veins by most insurance companies. Therefore, most Sclerotherapy treatments performed on the spider veins are paid by the patients themselves. Spider veins are those small and tiny veins right on the skin that are 1-2 mm or less in width, and are in shades of blue, purple, or red in color. Sclerotherapy is considered the best treatment for spider veins. No anesthetic is required prior to treatment and patients report little discomfort during and after the procedure. Most return to work and regular activities as soon as the treatment is completed.

Because Sclerotherapy is only “partially successful” among those injected spider veins, multiple sessions of injection maybe needed in some patients. Between 5 to 6 weeks of treatments are usually needed for a given area, separated by weeks to months of interval in between sessions.