Spider Vein Treatment in Rochester, NY

Disfigured veins in the body are one of the common ailment that patients are looking to treat. Most of the time these bulged veins don’t cause any harm and are treated cosmetically. This article will detail the causes, treatments, and further research being performed to treat vein disfigurement.

Laser Vein Treatments vs Sclerotherapy

What is Laser Treatment for Spider Veins?

The most innovative treatment for spider veins is endovenous laser ablation (EVLT). This laser procedure works by heating up the walls of the veins, the tissues die and the body naturally absorbs the tissue. Eliminating spider veins without surgery. Most people do qualify for this procedure but it is important for people who are considering this treatment to communicate all medical history and ailments. For patients who are looking for the treated veins to disappear completely it is important to get more than one treatment. The varicosities normally become less obvious after EVLA but rarely disappear completely (Circulation Foundation).

Do spider veins just go away?

Usually spider veins do not just disappear on their own. If a patient is looking to relieve pain or discomfort caused by the veins it will be essential to get around 1-2 treatments. For people who are looking to make the veins disappear completely, they will need more than one treatment (depending on the amount of treated veins and how large they are).

What is Sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is an effective treatment for varicose and spider veins. It's often considered the spider vein treatment in Rochester. This treatment, Sclerotherapy, involves injecting a solution directly into the vein. The sclerotherapy solution causes the vein to scar, forcing blood to reroute through healthier veins. Eventually the vein collapses and is reabsorbed into local tissue and eventually fade (Mayo Clinc). Usually sclerotherapy will take a couple of treatments and weeks for the veins to fully fade.

What are the side effects of sclerotherapy?

There are several side effects that can take place after sclerotherapy treatment. Commonly, at the site of the injection patients might experience:

More serious side effects:

Inflammation. This is usually mild but may cause swelling, warmth and discomfort around the injection site. A medical professional might suggest taking an anti inflammatory.
Blood clot. Within the treated vein, a blood clot might form and need to be medically drained. In rare occasions this blood clot might travel to a deeper vein in the body specifically a vein in your leg (deep vein thrombosis).
Deep vein thrombosis carries a risk of pulmonary embolism (a very rare complication of sclerotherapy), an emergency situation where the clot travels from your leg to your lungs and blocks a vital artery.
Air bubbles. Tiny air bubbles may show up in your bloodstream. These air bubbles don't always cause symptoms, but if they do, symptoms include visual disturbances, headaches, fainting and nausea. Typically these “bubbles” will go away.
Allergic reaction. It's possible that you may have an allergic reaction to the solution used for treatment. Medical professionals recomend that if patients are seeing something out of the normal they should contact a medical professional (Mayo Clinic)

Cost of sclerotherapy?

The average cost of spider vein treatment in Rochester is $413 and the average cost of laser treatment for leg veins is $312, according to 2020 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This average cost is only part of the total price – it does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses (Plastic Surgery).

Before

After

Sclerotherapy procedure:

The start of the procedure begins with the patient lying down on their back with their legs slightly elevated. After the medical professional wipes the area with alcohol, the doctor will use a small needle to slowly insert the liquid solution. The liquid solution will also contain lidocaine, which is a local anesthetic. Eventually, the vein will become scar tissue and disappear. Sometimes a foam version of the solution may be used, particularly when a larger vein is involved. Foam tends to cover more surface area than liquid. After the needle is withdrawn the doctor will apply compression and light messaging in the treated area to keep blood out of the injected vessel and disperse the solution. The doctor will then apply compression to that vein and move on the another vein. The number of injections depends on the number and size of veins being treated (Mayo Clinic).

Anatomy of veins and the body:

There are three major types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries. Briefly, the blood vessels transport blood throughout the body. Arteries transport blood away from the heart. Veins return blood back toward the heart. Capillaries surround body cells and tissues to deliver and absorb oxygen, nutrients, and other substances. The capillaries also connect the branches of arteries and to the branches of veins (Visible Body).

Spider Veins vs Varicose Veins

What are spider veins?

Spider veins, or thread veins, are smaller than varicose veins. They may look like tree branches or spider webs. Spider veins can usually be seen under the skin, but do not bulge under the skin like varicose veins. Spider veins are usually found on the legs or the face (Womens Health).

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins. Any superficial vein may become varicosed, but the veins most commonly affected are those in your legs. That's because standing and walking upright increases the pressure in the veins of your lower body (Mayo Clinic).

Who gets spider veins?

Usually, pregnant women are more susceptible to spider veins. In fact spider veins affect twice as many women as men. Men and women who are who are older in age, are obese have a higher likelyhood to get spider veins (Womens Health)

Alternative Treatments Specifically for Varicose Veins?

Because varicose veins and spider veins are slightly different the treatment options will vary. Below are some treatments for varicose veins:

Ligation and stripping - This treatment includes Cuts (incisions) are made over the varicose vein, and the vein is tied off (ligated) and removed (stripped).
Radiofrequency treatment - Several tiny cuts are made in the skin through which the varicose vein is removed. This is also called stab avulsion (Stanford Healthcare)
Sclerotherapy - This treatment can be used to treat spider veins (small) and varicose veins (larger).

Health Expressions focuses on treating Spider Veins, but we can offer a referral if you’re interested in treating Varicose Veins

Other common leg veins ailments?

Blood clots - These clots can found in most of the body but are most commonly found in the legs, arms, veins of the internal organs, in the brain, in the kidneys and/or in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) (Cleveland Clinic).
Deep vein thrombosis- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot occurring in a deep vein (including upper extremity — arms — and lower extremity — legs. Deep vein thrombosis, is usually not fatal, the blood clot itself can break away and travel through the body and become lodged in a vital organ like the lungs and become life threatening (Cleveland Clinic)
Ulcers - Ulcers are caused by static blood flow or venous stasis ulcers. These ulcers are considered wounds or open sres that continue to return. These ulcers are usually located below the knee and are primarily found on the inner part of the leg, just above the ankle (Cleveland Clinic).

Self-care for spider veins:

It’s important to note that these self care tips will not treat current spider veins but can prevent new spider veins.

Exercise - staying in shape and keeping unnecessary weight off can help prevent spider veins
Elevate your legs - elevate your legs daily
Don't sit for long periods - Whether on a flight or working from home it's important to take walking around breaks around every 30 minutes
When standing up taking breaks every 30 mins (either stretching or sitting down to remove the pressure from your legs)
Avoid soaking in hot baths for long periods of time (AAD)
Compression stockings - these are used to hopefully prevent blood clots from traveling to other parts of the body. Briefly, the compression stockings work by adding pressure to the legs, lessening swelling and hopefully reduce the risk of getting a blood clot. Patients will still see visible leg veins, though.

Research

There was a significant difference in hyperpigmentation and trapped blood between the two groups after the procedure (p = 0.009 and p = 0.02, respectively), there was no statistically significant difference in terms of skin necrosis (p = 0.52). A significant difference in the self-assessed cosmetic outcomes was observed in patients treated with sclerotherapy followed by low energy percutaneous RF thermocoagulation compared with patients whom sclerotherapy performed alone (p = 0.001). This study suggests that radiofrequency thermocoagulation added to the sclerotherapy provides better cosmetic outcomes with less treatment sessions and no additional complication rates (Sage Journal 2021).

Sclerotherapy before surgical treatment provided symptomatic relief and significant improvements and patient satisfaction in patients diagnosed with uncomplicated varicose veins (Al-Azhar Medical Journal, 2021)

In the procedure of sclerotherapy, sclerosant agent is injected in veins. It may be injected direct undiluted, diluted, or in a form of foam. Depending on the type of vein and diameter of vein, different dilutions are used. Though the recurrence with sclerotherapy is high but being a minimal invasive technique with low cost, it is a favorable technique for varicose veins (Springer, 2021)

A hypercoagulable disorders screening indicated a previously silent antiphospholipid syndrome. Although the prevalence of thromboembolic complications is low in both sclerotherapy and endovascular laser ablation, combination of both strategies might increase its incidence, even more in patients with unknown and uncontrolled hypercoagulable disorders (EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA, 2021).

Statistics

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