What to Expect After Your Sclerotherapy

No one looks forward to varicose veins, those twisted, gnarled blue-green veins that show through the skin of your legs, or spider veins, their smaller, red-purple version. For most people, these vein issues are cosmetic rather than a health threat, occurring when tiny valves inside your veins begin to fail, allowing blood to pool while straining vein walls to create their characteristic appearance.

Dr. David Naar at Premier Vein Clinic specializes in the treatment of spider and varicose veins. Vein sclerotherapy is one treatment for these rogue blood vessels that has a long history of success, and Dr. Naar is an experienced specialist. Performed in our office, sclerotherapy doesn’t take long, and you recover quickly, though knowing what to expect after your treatment helps the overall success of the procedure.

How Sclerotherapy Works

How Sclerotherapy Works

To understand your recovery progress, it’s good to know how sclerotherapy eliminates varicose and spider veins. An injectable treatment, sclerotherapy introduces a chemical irritant into the affected blood vessels, creating scar tissue and blocking the treated veins. This forces your body to reroute blood through other veins to compensate for the scar-blocked vessels. Once this occurs, your body breaks down and flushes out the spider varicose veins, and your legs become clear and smooth once again.

After your Treatment

Some minor side effects commonly occur after sclerotherapy. As with any injection, you could experience redness, bruising, and small sores at the treatment site. Skin may temporarily turn darker, and red blood vessels might surround the treatment point. In exceedingly rare cases, there are more serious side effects including infection, allergic reactions, or superficial blood clots. Dr. Naar and his team explain what to do in the unlikely event these occur.

Walking is Key

Walking aids your recovery and helps the pumping action of the remaining veins.

You might be surprised to find yourself on your feet, walking around, shortly after your treatment. Varicose veins frequently appear in those who have jobs that keep them sitting or standing for long periods of time. Walking and other leg movement aids veins in their task to pump blood up, against gravity, toward the heart and lungs. You will, though, keep strenuous activity to a minimum for a couple of weeks after your sclerotherapy treatment.

The Compression Factor

Dr. Naar typically recommends compression socks or bandages to further help your legs recover. These aids help keep pressure on your treated veins and may also help the remaining veins function well.

Back to your Routine

There’s little downtime from sclerotherapy. If you aren’t in a physically demanding job, you can return to work or other regular light activities the day after.

Post-procedure Follow-up

You see Dr. Naar after your original treatment for inspection and evaluation. Sometimes, more than one treatment may be necessary to treat all veins, depending on the severity of your condition. He also advises you when to restart any medications you may have stopped prior to treatment.

Spider veins usually disappear in a matter of weeks, while larger veins could take three or four months. While these veins won’t reappear, new spider varicose veins could develop, so committing to a more active lifestyle with plenty of walking helps to keep your legs smooth and clear.

Contact Premier Vein Clinic by phone or online to schedule your consultation with Dr. Naar. Relief from varicose and spider veins could be just weeks away. Book today.

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