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Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy Might Be An Option For Removing Your Varicose Veins

19 April 2021 by Joann Dunn

Sclerotherapy is a treatment for varicose veins that involves injecting a substance into your veins. If the veins are close to the surface of your skin, your doctor can see them clearly to give the injection. If the veins are deeper, your doctor might need to use Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy to get the best results. Here's how Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy works.

Your Veins Are Mapped With An Ultrasound

The doctor uses ultrasound equipment to map out your varicose veins. This helps the doctor follow the path of twisting veins when they're hidden from view. The doctor might mark the location of the veins on the surface of your skin so they know where to inject the foam or other substance to close the veins so they shrivel.

Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy Is Used Live

Your doctor can also use ultrasound live so they can watch the needle on the monitor screen as it moves toward the target vein. This makes the treatment more precise when the doctor treats veins that are hidden or that follow winding paths as they empty into another vein.

Sclerotherapy Causes The Vein To Shrivel

The goal of sclerotherapy is to inject a substance in a varicose vein that irritates the vein and causes it to close off. This also makes the blood coagulate, and without blood flow, the vein will slowly shrivel away. Results from sclerotherapy are not immediate since it takes time for the vein to disappear.

Your body routes blood around the shriveled vein so that your circulation is not impaired. Circulation may even improve once the dysfunctional veins are closed off. You might need more than one session when you remove varicose veins with Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy, especially if you have several veins that need to be treated on both legs.

Compression Stockings Are Worn During Recovery

You'll probably leave the doctor's office with bandages and compression stockings on your legs. The bandages should come off in a few days, but you might need to wear the stockings for a few weeks. Your doctor might instruct you to walk frequently and avoid sitting for long periods.

This means you may not be able to fly right away or take long road trips until you've recovered. Staying active, as long as you don't overdo it, helps prevent blood clots while you heal. You might be able to resume most activities the day after you've had Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy, but you'll want to follow your doctor's advice on how to recover from the procedure.

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