Spider veins, just like varicose veins, are abnormally dilated veins that can be seen on the surface of the skin. Often blue, purple or red in color, spider veins exhibit patterns that can look like lines, tree branches, or webs.
Varicose veins are associated with symptoms such as swelling, pain, and cramping, while spider veins are commonly only of cosmetic concern. Although spider veins are not causing symptoms, many patients seek treatment to improve their appearance.
The Vein Treatment Center is committed to providing both male and female patients with useful information regarding spider veins as well as their options for reliable and cutting-edge cosmetic treatments.
Almost always found on the legs or face, spider veins can be asymptomatic and simply a cosmetic issue, or they can be an indication of an underlying venous disease or varicose veins. Spider veins are treated by cosmetic sclerotherapy.
The sclerotherapy procedures are done in our comfortable outpatient office setting. A consultation with a doctor or physician assistant is done prior to treatment. They examine the spider veins, obtain a health history, and give the patient information on what to expect with cosmetic sclerotherapy treatment.
The Vein Treatment Center at Rochester Regional Health uses specialized light to expose the feeder/source veins for better and longer lasting results. A tiny needle, much smaller than that of a blood draw, is then used to inject an FDA-approved sclerosant medication into both the spider veins and any veins leading to them.
All veins that can safely be treated are injected at a single appointment. Depending on each patient’s expectations and severity of spider veins, multiple treatments can be necessary with a twelve-week healing time between each session. You may experience itching, redness, and some mild bruising and soreness over the treated areas. However, patients can return to their normal activities the same day and compression stockings are not necessary after treatment.
At the Vein Treatment Center, spider veins are always treated by a doctor or physician assistant with expertise in the procedure.
