A sclerotherapy ultra-sound can greatly facilitate the success of this procedure. Sclerotherapy is a procedure that is performed to reduce the appearance and medical complications associated with spider veins. Spider veins are the blue, red and purple veins that develop in the lower extremities as a result of reflux (leakage) blood flow caused by venous valvular incompetence. Varicose vein disease can vary in severity from a minor cosmetic annoyance to a debilitating medical condition.

Approximately fifty to seventy percent of all adult women have varicose vein disease to some degree. Men are affected by this condition to a lesser extent, though it usually goes unnoticed because it is concealed by leg hair. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to the development of this condition including: genetic predisposition, pregnancy, hormonal changes, weight gain, some medications, and sitting or standing for long periods of time. In addition to merely being a visual nuisance, spider veins can cause night cramps, swelling, aching and burning in a person's lower extremities.

Sclerotherapy is a procedure whereby a sclerosing solution is injected into the visible or diseased veins causing the vein to collapse and disappear. Sclerotherapy is generally a safe and effective method of treating varicose and spider veins. The use of sclerotherapy ultra-sound techniques before, during, and/or after the procedure can greatly improve the success of this treatment. When a patient comes in presenting cosmetic or medical problems with spider veins, one of the first tasks for a medical professional is to determine the exact nature and severity of the problem. Varicose veins are generally classified as having primary or secondary valvular compromise. Primary vein disease involves superficial veins while secondary complications involve deeper venous systems.

Sclerotherapy ultra-sound can be used as a pretreatment assessment to gauge the location and nature of spider veins and varicose veins. Handheld Doppler sclerotherapy ultra-sound techniques and plethysmography can provide a general idea of the location and extent of the venous disease, though duplex ultrasonography is one of the most accurate non-invasive techniques that can provide detailed information about the nature of venous system damage.

In addition to pre-treatment assessment purposes, sclerotherapy ultra-sound techniques can also be extremely helpful during a sclerotherapy procedure. Sclerotherapy ultra-sound techniques can be used during a procedure to precisely locate deeper veins. This allows a doctor to guide a needle into the exact location where the vein(s) is compromised.

A sclerotherapy ultra-sound can also be helpful after a sclerotherapy technique has been completed. Post-treatment sclerotherapy ultra-sound procedures can tell a medical professional the extent of improvement that was achieved through the original sclerotherapy procedure(s) and indicate which areas may still need treatment. If you are interested in learning more about sclerotherapy ultra-sound techniques, please contact us to consult with a qualified and experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.