Eliminating Varicose Veins With Sclerotherapy: What are the Benefits and Risks?

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Medical Video: Varicose Vein Treatments - Risks, Benefits and Results- An Aid to Valid Consent

Varicose veins are not only a matter of beauty for women but also health problems. If it continues to be allowed, varicose veins can cause pain and swelling due to leakage of leg blood vessels. You may also experience leg cramps at night. Not infrequently also varicose veins can cause bleeding. One way to get rid of varicose veins that is proven effective is sclerotherapy.

What is sclerotherapy?

Varicose veins are caused by blood that should flow into the heart instead of returning to the feet, because the venous valve that functions to carry blood to the heart weakens and does not close properly. As a result, blood trapped in leg veins increases the pressure around the wall and makes the veins dilate.

Sclerotherapy is a way to get rid of varicose veins through a medical procedure in a doctor, by injecting a chemical called a sclerosant into the veins in the legs the cause of varicose veins.Sclerosants generally contain combinations hypertonic salts, sodium tetradecil sulfate, polidokanol, and chromate glycerin which work together to shrink blood vessels.

In addition to removing varicose veins, sclerotherapy is also used to treat spider veins (spider veins).

Who needs sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is often done to eliminate stubborn varicose veins, which do not go away with natural or medicinal treatments from a doctor. Scelotherapy is also used as a way to get rid of varicose veins accompanied by painful symptoms, such as feetswelling, burning sensation, and cramps at night.

You are not allowed to run this procedure if:

  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding. The safety of the injected skelerosant ingredients cannot be ascertained, whether it can cause birth defects or enter breast milk.
  • Have a history of allergies to the sclerosant or the like.
  • Have blood clots or swelling in blood vessels.
  • Having veins that are potentially used for heart bypass surgery.

Before doing sclerotherapy, you should consult with your dermatologist.

How to get rid of varicose veins with sclerotherapy

Before doing sclerotherapy, the doctor will check your medical history and also evaluate your vein thoroughly. The goal is to detect vascular disease and other diseases, or allergies that can inhibit the procedure. The doctor will explain the procedure for sclerotherapy, the recovery process, and the potential complications that may arise.

The doctor will inject the sclerosant solution slowly and directly into the vein using a fine needle. Each injection contains 0.1-0.4 ml of sclerosan solution and is injected every 2-3 cm until all the vessels are treated. Sclerotherapy is an outpatient medical procedure.

Recovery tips after sclerotherapy

After the sclerotherapy procedure is done, you may be able to walk immediately after treatment. Walk every day for at least 10 minutes. Try not to sit for long periods of time. But avoid strenuous exercise for 1 week after the procedure.

Also avoid direct contact between treated feet and sunlight for the first 2 weeks after the procedure. You may need to temporarily wear special stockings or trousers during outdoor activities to prevent sun exposure.

Risk of complications that may occur after sclerotherapy

Just like other medical procedures, sclerotherapy has its own risk of complications even though it includes a simple non-surgical procedure and effectively removes varicose veins. Complications can range from mild to severe side effects and require treatment.

Some of the mild to moderate side effects of sclerotherapy may last for several days, weeks, or even months and years to completely disappear. Among them:

  • The injection area is bruised
  • Small wounds on the skin
  • There are many small red blood vessels on the surface of the skin
  • Pigmentation or the skin becomes darker
  • Stripes or spots on the skin

While complications are more serious and require treatment, including:

  • Blood clots
  • Inflammation
  • Allergic reactions to substances used, which can cause urticarial or anaphylaxis
  • Air bubbles in the bloodstream
  • Edema
  • Deep vein thrombosis
  • Myocardial infarction

The use of special varicose veins with a strength of 30 mm / Hg can help reduce this serious risk. Stocking must be used every day for 3 weeks, starting from the first night after undergoing sclerotherapy.

Eliminating Varicose Veins With Sclerotherapy: What are the Benefits and Risks?
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