Spider Vein Treatment

A spider vein condition typically occurs in the legs, and can make the affected areas look aesthetically and physically unappealing. If left untreated for a long time, spider veins may also cause physical discomfort and pain. The condition is seen more commonly in people who stand for long hours continuously, have gained significant amount of weight, or in pregnant women. Non-surgical treatment approaches can be used effectively to treat the condition of spider veins.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is the time tested non-surgical treatment for spider veins. In this technique, the treatment provider will inject a sclerosing solution directly into the targeted veins with very fine needles. The solution irritates the inner lining of the diseased vein, causing it to collapse over a period of time. The vein will gradually disintegrate and become removed from the body system naturally.

Sclerotherapy technique may be performed in about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the extent of area to be treated. Multiple injections may be required, and a local anesthetic may be used to keep the patient comfortable during the treatment. Sclerotherapy treatment usually does not involve any significant downtime.

Laser Treatment

State of the art endovenous laser technologies are also used to remove spider veins without surgery. The laser treatment procedure will involve delivery of intense beams of energy directly into the targeted spider veins. The sharp heat will cause the diseased vein to collapse and disappear on its own smoothly and painlessly.

Significant improvement can be seen in a single treatment session itself. Laser treatment is relatively free of pain, and no downtime is involved or is required in most cases. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia.

Surgery

In rare cases, where large sized spider veins are involved, some of the veins may remain unresponsive to sclerotherapy or laser treatment. In such situations, the plastic surgeon may perform a minor surgical procedure under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis to remove any spider veins.