You have unsightly varicose veins and you want to get rid of it. One of the available treatments for varicose veins is sclerotherapy. Here are the things that you should expect if you choose to go through this process:
During Doctor Visit
Before you undergo sclerotherapy, your doctor will perform physical examination. He will look right into the affected veins and see if you have an underlying medical condition like blood vessel disease. After this, he will do an interview to specifically ask about your medical history. Prepare yourself with various questions like:
- What are your recent illnesses?
- Are you currently taking supplements or medications?
- Are you smoking?
- Doyou have allergies?
Have you had previous treatments for varicose veins? If you are taking aspirin and the likes, he may ask you to stop taking the medication for a particular period of time prior to the medical procedure in order to avoid bleeding. If you are using antibiotics, he may also give specific instruction for this.
Are You Eligible for Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is not suitable for everyone; hence, it is always necessary to consult first with your dermatologist or with the vascular medicine specialist. If you are pregnant, you are not eligible for this. Even if you take birth control pills, you can still go through this treatment process. Depending on the reason you had blood clot before, he may (and may not)consider this cure for you.
A Day Prior to the Procedure
You should not shave your legs 24 hours before sclerotherapy. Likewise, never apply any kind of lotion.
Right on the Day
Look for the most comfortable clothing in your closet and wear it right on the day of your appointment. You may opt to wear shorts to expose your legs. Your doctor will request you to lie on your back with your legs raised slightly. He will rub the affected area with alcohol. The doctor will inject a solution right into your vein that will then cause irritation to the inside layer of the blood vessel. It will become swollen and stay close. On the other hand, the blood will begin to clot. This vessel will turn into a scar tissue that will eventually disappear.
What to Expect after Sclerotherapy
After injection, you will normally feel a little discomfort and cramping, particularly if the vein injected with the solution is larger. This may only take one to two minutes so do not be scared. Your doctor will apply compression and massage to keep the blood from coming out of the injected vessel and to break up the solution. In fact, he may tape the compression pad right into the injected area.
You will observe changes after a few weeks but in some occasions, it takes one month to see complete results. On the other hand, another session(s) of sclerotherapy may be required. Reading this blog post, you will realize that you have nothing to worry with sclerotherapy. You can instead look forward to a beautiful you a month after the treatment for varicose veins.