Spider Vein Treatment

There are several treatment options available for spider veins.  Your doctor will be able to tell you which treatment is best for you, but this article will educate you about spider veins treatment before you see your doctor.

The most common treatment for spider Veins...

is sclerotherapy.  A saline or other chemical solution is injected into the spider vein.  This solution causes the vein to swell, form internal scar tissue, and permanently seal shut.  Other veins in the area take over and re-route blood flow for the sealed vein.  More than one treatment is usually necessary before the spider vein disappears.  Between 10 and 40 spider veins can be treated at each doctor visit.

Additional sclerotherapy may be needed in the future to treat newly formed spider veins.  This type of treatment only affects existing spider veins and does not prevent new spider veins from forming.  After sclerotherapy treatments, you may experience swelling, itching, and bruising at the area treated.  These symptoms may take several weeks to heal. 

Laser treatments can also be used to treat spider veins.  The pulses from the laser seal the veins closed, and the spider veins ultimately fade.  Laser spider vein treatment also requires more than one doctor visit.  The intense light from the laser causes a burning sensation that some people find more uncomfortable than sclerotherapy injections.

Another spider veins treatment is electrodessication where an electrical current is used to seal off affected veins.

Some treatments actually involve removing the affected vein from your legs.  Spider vein removal is usually performed by phlebectomy.  This procedure is done on an outpatient basis for larger spider veins and some varicose veins.  The spider vein is removed by making 2 incisions-one at either end of the vein length to be removed.  The ends are sealed shut by various means, and the vein is clipped and removed.

Surgical ligation and stripping of the vein is usually reserved for larger varicose veins and not superficial spider veins.  This procedure usually requires a short hospital stay.

RESOURCES:

1.  WomensHealth.gov

Disclaimer: This page is not meant to be a substitute for any professional advice, guidance, or counseling.  I am not a doctor.  This page is not intended in any way to serve or take the place of medical advice from a physician.