Answers

Replied on 2/26/2010

By: General Vascular Surgery Group  |  Michael D. Ingegno, M.D.
San Leandro, CA

That depends. Many larger Varicose Veins have a source vein which needs to be treated to eliminate the feeder of the Varicose Veins , otherwise they may recur rapidly. If this is your situation sclerotherapy alone may not be an adequate treatment.

Replied on 10/16/2009

By: Laser Lipo and Vein Center  |  Thomas Wright M.D. F.A.C.P.
St. Peters, MO

Yes sclerotherapy can be used to treat both varicose and spider veins. However, the most important issue in dealing with varicose veins is to make sure the underlying cause is treated in addition to the varicosities. An ultrasound is needed to see if there is a leaking vein and if so this should be ablated (closed down). Usually it is best to treat the underlying cause with either laser or radiofrequency ablation prior to performing sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy may take several sessions to be effective.

Replied on 10/13/2009

By: Vein and Laser Specialist  |  Edward G. Mackay, M.D.
St. Petersburg, FL

The most important issue in dealing with varicose veins is to make sure the underlying cause is treated in addition to the varicosities. An ultrasound is needed to see if there is a leaking vein and if so this should be ablated (closed down), usually using heat (either laser or radiofrequency ablation). The varicose veins can be treated by either sclerotherapy or microphlebectomy. Sclerotherapy may take several sessions while microphlebectomy will usually only take one.

Replied on 10/1/2009

By: NJ Vein Care Center, LLC  |  Gary B. Nackman, M.D.
Clifton, NJ

Sclerotherapy can be very effective in the treatment of spider and reticular veins. The degeneration of veins is described as follows: spider and reticular veins are very small dilated vessels in the skin with a blue or red appearance. Varicose veins are larger blue vessels under the skin that may feel firm or tense. Sclerotherapy works best for the smaller diameter veins. Microphlebectomy is a better solution for larger varicose veins. It is important to identify if there is dysfunction of the vein valves that is the root cause of abnormal veins for many people.

Replied on 9/24/2009

By: Novi Vein  |  Jeffrey H. Miller, M.D.
Novi, MI

The most important issue in dealing with varicose veins is to make sure the underlying cause is treated in addition to the varicosities. An ultrasound is needed to see if there is a leaking vein and if so this should be ablated (closed down), usually using heat (either laser or radiofrequency ablation). The varicose veins can be treated by either sclerotherapy or microphlebectomy. Sclerotherapy may take several sessions while microphlebectomy will usually only take one.

More Questions on Sclerotherapy

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Does Sclerotherapy have to be repeated? (9 answers)
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