injection therapy of varicose veins
Spider veins are the thread-like colored veins most often seen on the surface of the skin. Spider veins occur most commonly in the legs but are often seen in the face and elsewhere. These spider veins (medically referred to as telangiectasias) will never worsen to the point where they will become the large bulging varicose veins. Many women develop spider veins or telangiectasias of the legs during pregnancy. Others are caused by hormone therapy and sometimes from trauma or injury. Whatever the cause, the result is an unsightly area of red vessels and excessive redness.
Surgical treatments for varicose veins have been used for many years. Internal lasers, radio waves, and support stockings have also been tried with varying degrees of success. The drawbacks to all of these older treatments include scarring, recovery time, cost and poor results.
Sclerotherapy is now the most popular method employed by vascular specialists worldwide. This reliable treatment involves injecting the vessel with a substance that damages the inside wall of the vein. The vein reacts by collapsing. The walls of the vein meet, scar together, and become invisible.
Saline injections are an outdated method of sclerotherapy although some doctors still use it. Saline injections can be very painful and can cause tissue necrosis and scarring.
Newer and more useful products are now on the market. Polidocanol and tetradecyl sodium sulfate treat spider and varicose veins very effectively with little or no pain. They are also safer if the material is inadvertently injected or leaks out of the vein.
