When Would Sclerotherapy for the Legs Be Needed Again?

Sclerotherapy,
or vein treatment, can be a highly effective treatment for varicose veins in
the legs. Over time, swelling can occur in the veins, resulting in increased
discoloration of legs or ankles. Left untreated, these veins may become
painful. Virtually anyone in reasonably good health with unwanted visible veins
in their lower extremities can be a candidate for this technique. Optimal
results are achieved in several visits, typically with a month between
treatments. Recovery time is quick and relatively painless, however, a completed
round of sclerotherapy will not prevent new veins from forming in the future.

Thank you for your question. Sometimes more than one sclerotherapy may be required and usually follow up every 6-8 weeks. I would recommend wearing compression stockings for at least 2-3 weeks after the treatment. Spider veins can reoccur but in a different area. Some do maintenance every couple of years or longer. If it's a bulging varicose veins, I would recommend consulting with a vascular surgeon. I hope this helps.

After sclerotherapy treatment, the veins will eventually return.  It is recommended to have additional treatment for maintenance.

We recommend sclerotherapy every 2-4 weeks until the veins are gone.  Some patients develop new veins and need to be treated again when this occurs.

Sclerotherapy may be needed if you develop new varicose or reticular or spider veins. As you age, other veins can form and this is because all veins have valves and valve failure locally results in blood pooling which engorges veins. The need for additional sclerotherapy does not indicate 'failure' but it is a result of the normal aging process and lack of preventive measures - not wearing stockings, not exercizing calf muscles to help the calf pump, using exogenous hormones (birth control pills), aging, sun damage, etc. 

Yes, varicose veins can return. However ,I have treated some small vessels that have not returned. This procedure is repeated every 2-6 months until the vessels have resolved which typically takes 3-6 times. Yearly maintenance injections recommend.

 

Hello,

Sclerotherapy can help minimize spider veins that are present. It is variably effective and can be repeated at intervals to get better results. Repetition at 6-8 week intervals is not uncommon. 

 

Best Regards,

 

John Di Saia MD

Sclerotherapy is a great technique for treating most veins of the lower extremities. However, as is the case with many cosmetic treatments, optimal results are usually achieved with several treatments (2 to 4) spaced about 4 to 6 weeks apart.  Once those results are attained and the majority of veins that can be treated have disappeared, we leave it up to the patient to decide when it is time to come back, which is usually not until the patient starts to notice new veins developing. The time frame varies depending on contributing factors such as weight, hormones, genetics, pregnancies, mobility and exercise. 

When it comes to spider vein treatment, one session is almost never enough and most patient require multiple treatments to achieve the results they are looking for 

I always leave it up to my patients to come back when they feel that they have developed new spider veins and they bother them enough to have them addressed

Sometimes patients will need multiple treatments for the same area

I always ask my patients to come and see me 6 weeks after their treatment to determine how well the treatment work and see if they would like to have more treatments 

Normally, the treatments can be repeated every 4-8 weeks