What are they?

Varicose veins are diseased veins that have become permanently dilated so they no longer effectively transport blood back to the heart. 

Varicose veins are one of the most common disorders in family medicine. A medical study has found that over 60% of the US population have some degree of varicose veins. Varicose veins are more common in women than men, and although we don't know precisely why they occur, we know several factors play a role in their formation including heredity, obesity, pregnancy, aging, hormones, and lifestyle.

The most common treatable types of varicose veins are:

• Large, dilated and ropy veins which run up and down the inner thighs and lower legs in people who suffer from severe varicose vein disease. These are sometimes called "secondary varicose veins".
• Dark, bluish veins that run just under the surface of the skin and which frequently form a network or criss-cross pattern under the skin. These are called reticular veins.
• Spider veins which are a little network of veins that resemble lines on a roadmap or starbursts. These are common around the ankles, thigh, and behind the knees.

What is sclerotherapy?

At one time there was no alternative to surgery in the treatment of varicose and spider veins. Now, there is a procedure called sclerotherapy that can dramatically improve the condition of varicose veins without the cost, inconvenience, and potential risks inherent in an operation.

Sclerotherapy is a simple procedure in which the physician injects a small amount of solution (sclerosing agent) into a diseased or varicose vein. The sclerosing agent irritates the lining of the vein and cause the vein to become inflamed. Eventually the inflamed vein dries up, is replaced with fibrous tissue, and it disappears. Blood that once ran through the diseased vein finds another route back to the heart.

Sclerotherapy is done in the doctor's office, and depending upon the extent of varicose veins, the procedure can usually get rid of varicose veins and spider veins in two to ten treatments.