How Effective is Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins?

Varicose Veins are large rope-like knots of veins that bulge out of the surface of the skin. They don’t just look terrible, they can also be life-threatening.

If you are suffering from varicose veins, you have to seek varicose vein treatment immediately. Failure to seek treatment may lead to allergic reactions, bleeding, ulcers, or even death (in the worst case scenarios).

Sclerotherapy is often recommended as a treatment for varicose veins. However, sclerotherapy is really only effective for spider veins or getting rid of surface veins. When it comes to varicose veins, you need to rely on treatments such as VenaSeal, Radiofrequency Ablation, and Laser Ablation.

In order to find out which varicose vein treatment is right for you, it is important to consult your local varicose vein specialist in NY or varicose vein specialist in NJ.

In this article, we will discuss sclerotherapy and other treatment options to get rid of varicose veins completely.

Is Varicose Vein Treatment Important?

Varicose Veins are large rope-like knots of veins that protrude out from the surface of the skin. They are ugly to look at and they can be potentially life-threatening.

Varicose veins occur because of a medical condition called Chronic Venous Insufficiency, a vein disease in which the valves of the veins malfunction. This, in turn, leads to blood flowing in the wrong direction and accumulating in the blood vessels around the legs.

The accumulated blood applies pressure on the veins and weakens the vein walls. Over several days or weeks, the vein walls weaken, the veins grow larger, and they protrude out in the form of varicose veins.

Dangers of Varicose Veins

If left untreated, varicose veins can be extremely dangerous and painful.

Bleeding: The enlarged varicose veins can burst if you scratch them or irritate the linings of the vein. This can lead to extensive bleeding and you have to be taken to the emergency room immediately.
Eczema: The skin around the varicose veins can get red and scaly and lead to itchiness, which can, in turn, lead to bleeding.
Ulcers: All of the accumulated blood in the legs can lead to the formation of ulcers.
Deep Vein Thrombosis: This is a medical condition in which blood clots form inside the veins. If these blood clots break and get carried to the lungs, you can suffer from Pulmonary Embolism. In the worst case scenarios, this can lead to death.

As you can see, varicose veins are extremely dangerous. So it is VERY important to seek varicose vein treatment as soon as possible.

What is Sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment in which a medicine called Sclerosant is injected into the affected or damaged vein. The sclerosant irritates the lining of the vein and causes them to stick to each other, effectively closing the veins. Blood from the affected vein is then re-routed to healthy surrounding veins, which, in turn, improves blood circulation.

The entire process is painless and can be concluded in 30 minutes. Furthermore, the patient can also resume their daily activities immediately after the procedure.

How Effective is Sclerotherapy as Varicose Vein Treatment?

Sclerotherapy is generally used as a treatment for spider veins. Its efficiency depends on the size of the veins and it is only capable of sealing small surface veins.

Varicose veins are quite large so sclerotherapy cannot be used as an effective treatment.

Best Minimally Invasive Varicose Vein Treatments

As already mentioned, sclerotherapy can only be used to treat small surface veins, making it an ineffective treatment for varicose veins.

However, thanks to modern medicine, there are a number of other effective minimally invasive treatments for varicose veins. The following are the three best varicose vein treatments available.

VenaSeal

VenaSeal is the safest and most effective minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins.

This method involves the use of a VenaSeal glue to seal the damaged veins together. As such, the veins are closed and they can, over days or weeks, be reabsorbed by the body.

VenaSeal is considered to be one of the best treatments for varicose veins for a number of reasons:

It is a non-surgical treatment.
Can remove varicose veins permanently.
There’s only one primary injection site. You don’t need to apply lосаl anesthetic around the affected vein.
Has a 99% success rate.
Causes minimal pain.
The patient can resume work immediately after the procedure.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency Ablаtіоn (RFA) is another one of the best minimally invasive treatments for varicose veins. In this procedure, thermal energy is used to damage the affected veins so they can be closed and reabsorbed by the body.

Radiofrequency Ablation is a suitable treatment option for the following reasons:

The entire procedure can be concluded within 45 minutes.
The patient can resume their daily activities on the same day.
Causes minimal pain as it is performed under local anesthesia.
Over 95% success rate.
This treatment is covered by medical insurance.

Laser Ablation

Laser Ablation is also an effective minimally invasive procedure for varicose veins. In this procedure, laser energy is used to close the damaged vein. The entire process only takes one hour.

This method is also effective but it causes more discomfort than RFA and VenaSeal so it’s not the preferred treatment for varicose veins.

Which Varicose Vein Treatment is Right for You?

Sclerotherapy may not be suitable for varicose veins, but there are a number of other minimally invasive treatments available. However, only a varicose vein specialist can determine which treatment is right for your specific condition.

At Vein Treatment Clinic, we specialize in all of the aforementioned minimally invasive non-surgical varicose vein treatments. We work in conjunction with VIP Medical Group to give all our patients access to the best Ivy-league varicose vein specialists in the world. We study your medical history and your condition carefully and come up with a treatment plan that’s perfect for your needs.

As we have already mentioned, varicose veins aren’t just ugly to look at, they can also be potentially fatal. So book an appointment with your local varicose vein clinic immediately.