Removing Leg Veins with Injections (Sclerotherapy)

Dermatologist Dr. Jo Herzog explains the process of removing leg veins with injections (sclerotherapy) and shares a video of the procedure being done on one of her patients.

 

If varicose or spider veins are a problem for you, the solution may be easier than you think. According to Dr. Jo Herzog, Family Savvy’s favorite dermatologist, removing leg veins with injections (sclerotherapy) is an easy solution that works for many patients.

Dr. Jo shares her advice below, along with a video showing how the procedure is performed. She gives us a bird’s eye peek into her exam room so that we can see exactly how vein removal works. Thanks so much to Dr. Jo (and the willing patient) for sharing this savvy info!

 

Dr. Jo Herzog

Spider and varicose veins can cause much angst, especially during summer months. Thankfully, many folks can easily solve their leg vein problem quickly, inexpensively, and painlessly by injections (sclerotherapy).

If you suffer from veiny legs and want to look into sclerotherapy, a dermatologist should first evaluate your veins to see if injections would be an effective method of removal. Most dermatologists can determine this via a simple examination, and doppler or other tests are usually not necessary.

For most smaller vessels, laser and surgery are not the best options. The long time gold standard is still an injection into the vein to destroy the vein and allow it to dissolve (sclerotherapy). This is a procedure that should be done by a very experienced injector. It can be done in a few fairly quick office visits. There is no down time; however, most dermatologists will ask that patients walk for one hour after the procedure to keep blood flowing to the area.

For most larger veins or in cases where there is significant backflow from larger branches of vessels, surgery will be necessary. These thick, ropey, blue vessels often extend up into the groin and are best treated with an internal laser procedure or with surgical removal. If done by a qualified vascular surgeon, the risk will be minimal.

The main side effect of leg vein injections (sclerotherapy) is bruising. In some patients, tiny pink vessels might appear in areas as the body attempts to replace those that were lost. These are not usually bothersome to most patients.

Another possible but rare complication is development of an ulcer if a vein goes into spasm or if the solution is improperly injected. Again, this would be extremely rare if the sclerotherapy were performed by an experienced injector.

Sclerotherapy is not a one visit deal. For most, it takes an average of three visits to get legs looking great; however, this can vary from patient to patient.

The video below is one in which I am injecting a patient’s spider veins. She gave permission for us to film this and share on Family Savvy so that others could get an idea of how the procedure works.

Hope this is helpful.

Dr. Jo

I hope this information proved helpful for anyone wanting more information on sclerotherapy. The advice contained within the post is general and may not apply to each person. See your dermatologist to get the specific plan for you.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!