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Perth's Leading Specialist in the Treatment of Varicose Veins

Dr Luke Matar | MBBS, FRANZCR, FACP

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What is Sclerotherapy and How Does it Work?

What is Sclerotherapy and How Does it Work?

What is Sclerotherapy and How Does it Work?

The Vein Clinic specialises in minimally invasive, non-surgical varicose vein treatments. Sclerotherapy is one such option. Below we delve into the details.

What is Sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a treatment option for varicose veins that involves injecting a sclerosing solution directly into the targeted vein using tiny needles. This solution makes the vein walls collapse and stick together, thus sealing off the dysfunctional vessel. Medical grade compression stockings are applied after treatment and worn for 2 weeks; this compression helps the sealing process. Once the veins are sealed, the blood is rerouted to other veins and the closed vessel is gradually reabsorbed by the body.

What Areas Can Sclerotherapy Treat?

Sclerotherapy uses slightly differing sclerosing agents and techniques depending on the veins being treated. Liquid sclerotherapy is used to treat smaller varicose veins and surface veins, whereas foam sclerotherapy is preferred for larger vessels experiencing greater severity of varicosity. To ensure our patients experience minimal post-treatment discomfort, we treat using nitrogen-free foam. At The Vein Clinic we carefully review each patient’s case, and treatment results will depend on this, but on average veins can be treated over 2-3 sessions at monthly intervals.

How Does Sclerotherapy Work?

While the principle of sclerotherapy remains the same, the varying techniques work in slightly different ways. Liquid sclerotherapy uses the pure sclerosing agent as explained above. Needle placement is determined by direct vision; what is visible from the skin surface. Foam sclerotherapy, however, uses a sclerosing liquid mixed with nitrogen-free gas. A foam is formed, which displaces blood, allowing for greater contact of the sclerosing agent on the vein wall. This allows for more efficient treatment in larger, more convoluted varicose veins. The Vein Clinic is unique in that we use ultrasound to guide this procedure, ensuring accurate needle placement and minimising the risk of complications.

Sclerotherapy therefore works differently for each patient; in addition to the technique, the size and extent of vascular issues affect the treatment timeframe and procedural details. These details are, for example, the size of the needle, the amount of entry points, and the amount of entry points used per treatment session.

How The Vein Clinic Can Help You

As Perth’s only specialised varicose vein centre, at The Vein Clinic we are dedicated to addressing the underlying cause of your varicose veins, not just the cosmetic exterior. Dr Matar brings his extensive training and experience to ensure you walk away with pain-free legs, having minimal recovery time and lower recurrence rates.

For more information or to book a consultation, contact The Vein Clinic today.