Sclerotherapy
Taking advantage of South Florida’s warm weather perks may be difficult if you have unsightly spider veins or painful varicose veins. Start saying yes to shorts today by visiting Fox Vein and Laser Experts.
Dr. Fox, the leading South Florida vein expert, offers a variety of solutions, including her most popular and minimally invasive procedure:
What Is Sclerotherapy?
This medical procedure has been around for nearly a century as a way to eliminate varicose and spider veins. A solution is injected into the vein where it irritates the lining of the blood vessel so it collapses, sticks together, and forms a clot. With time, the vessel turns into scar tissue that fades away. There are two forms of sclerotherapy: visual and ultrasound-guided. The quick visual sclerotherapy treatment is to remove small surface veins while the ultrasound treatment targets deeper veins that are not as easily seen. Using ultrasound technology, a needle is precisely inserted into your vein where the solution can be administered. After that, the process of the vessel fading away is the same as in the visual treatment.
Is it Safe? What Are The Possible Complications?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Sclerotherapy is often considered the treatment of choice for small varicose veins. It also states that there are several temporary side effects you can expect after the procedure including bruising, redness, skin sores, darkened skin, and tiny red blood vessels.
These side effects should go away within a few weeks. However, there are other side effects that may need additional treatment like inflammation, blood clots, or a possible allergic reaction. Inflammation may be treated with over-the-counter medication like Advil and an allergic reaction to the solution is quite uncommon. However, if you are having trouble breathing or moving your legs, seek immediate medical attention.
What’s the Recovery?
Your legs will look like you were attacked by mosquitoes for a few days may. Make sure you are walking daily to maintain your circulation and prevent blood clots. Also, we have you wear compression socks for a few weeks to maintain compression on the treated veins. Make sure to also avoid the sun; a combination of the sun on the treated area may cause dark spots to form. Every patient is different when healing from the procedure, but recovery should happen quickly. If it doesn’t or you don’t feel right, please contact us immediately. If you underwent a visual treatment, expect to see results in three to six weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic. If we treated you with the ultrasound technique, then you should see results in three to four months.
What Does It Cost?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Sclerotherapy costs have a wide range, depending on what is covered in the estimate. On average, you can expect one treatment to be around $300-400. However, remember the total cost may change depending on how many treatments you need to achieve desired results. Also, keep in mind, most health insurances will not cover the cost especially for cosmetic veins. So make sure to review your plan.
Summer is around the corner, so take the first step towards summertime bliss by Calling Fox Vein and Laser Experts and making your initial consultation appointment today. Dr. Susan Fox has decades of experience in diagnosing and treating painful varicose veins and spider veins and has performed thousands of vein procedures that have allowed her clients to continue to live their happy and confident lives. Let her help you too! Contact our offices in Pembroke Pines at 954-627-1045 , and Hollywood at 954-289-3002.