Preparing the Socradecol and glycerine solution by mixing them together to produce a foamy solution


A tiny needle injects Socradecol and gycerline into the spider veins to cause them to dissolve.

Insurance coverage?

Spider vein treatments are not covered by insurance. During the initial consultation, the cost to treat the spider veins will be determined. Our current program is to offer a treatment package for one year, and the price of treatment includes both legs front and back as well as ankles and feet. Several visits are included in the package, depending upon the severity of the veins. The prices may vary from $300 to $1500. Treatments are often staged between two to three months apart, depending upon a number of factors.

Spider Veins

TREATMENT

Spider veins of the legs are treated only by injection with modern sclerotherapy solutions. Laser treatments are good for spider veins of the nose and face, but do not work well for spider veins on the legs. The injection solutions were derived from Europe, and then refined by Sylvia Tadros, PA-C and Dr. Kingsley to create one of the best solutions known to eliminate these unsightly veins. Sotradecol and glycerin are either mixed together or used separately for specific type veins. Most frequently the solutions are foamed into very small air bubbles for injection through tiny needles. The solutions layer on the bubbles, and remain in contact with the vein lining to allow better damage and thereby elimination of the spider veins.

A laser Device

Who can be treated for spider veins?

Nearly all patients can be treated, including patients with darker skin colors. Patients of all ages can be treated. All spider veins can be treated, including those on the ankles and feet. Patients taking blood thinners can be treated, even though more treatments will be required. The best solution is chosen for each patient based upon color of the vein, location, skin color, and many other factors.

Are the treatments painful?


Most of our patients do not consider the treatments painful. However, quite a few needle sticks are required during each treatment session, which typically lasts about 30 minutes. The needles are very small, and in most skin locations the injections are not painful. Injections on the ankles and feet and on the inside of the thighs are the most uncomfortable due to skin nerve sensitivity. Patients may take ibuprofen or Tylenol an hour before treatment if needed.

Some patients have needle fright, and require a sedative before treatment. We will be glad to prepare for these treatments, and can provide a mild sedative. In that situation, we require that someone else be available to drive after the treatments.

Laser treatments on the face are usually not painful, for we are able to chill the skin nicely with a special cooling device. The cold temperature blocks the heat of the laser.


Spider Veins Before And After


Pain after treatment occurs when the small veins clot. A superficial phlebitis develops, causing redness and swelling at the treatment sites. This will resolve usually within a couple of weeks, and may require mild pain medication such as ibuprofen.

Are there complications?

Fortunately there are very few problems with spider vein treatments which we consider very safe for all of our patients.

Those worth mentioning are the following:The most common side effect is the appearance of a brown pigment stain where the vein was located. This is a blood pigment which leaked into the skin. The stain often is present for many months, sometimes a year or longer. The pigment will slowly disappear, and sometimes a bleach is prescribed to help vanish the stain more rapidly. The pigment appears in about 30% of our patients, and usually in those patients with the more severe spider veins. On rare occasions the skin will break down and form a very small ulcer at the site of one of the injections. This is due to some of the sclerosant leaking under the skin, and most often occurs on the ankle or foot. The ulcer is uncomfortable, is treated with simple anti-septic ointment and a bandaid, and goes away within a few weeks. An occasional patient will develop a transient change in vision soon after treatment with one of the foam solutions. This is a rare occurrence, and the patient must have a small hole in one of the heart chambers for this to occur. The visual disturbance rarely lasts longer than a few minutes.

Thousands and thousands of patients have been treated for spider veins without any side effects, making this a very safe procedure. All precautions are taken to assure the safest treatments for our patients.