Spider Veins
Spider Veins are very small superficial (close to the surface of the skin) veins that are prominent and often damaged. They are more correctly termed Telangiectasias.
Spider Veins can present as a dark cluster or can even be red, purple or blue. They often develop on the thighs and the legs below the knee. They are mostly benign, meaning they are not likely to indicate any underlying serious problem or other underlying cause.
Spider Veins do not usually cause pain and unless they are associated with an underlying cluster or truncal incompetent vein, they do not pose any serious harm.
Sometimes the spider veins on the leg can progress, especially if there are varicose veins associated with them. But what most people find is that they increase in size, number and colour very gradually.
Most of the time the reason to treat them is aesthetic or for cosmetic reasons. They do NOT, in and of themselves, pose a higher risk of developing ‘clots’ or a Deep Vein Thrombosis.
The way in which they are treated is with sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is an injection into the veins with a compound called foam sclerosant, using a very fine needle. The foam sclerosant that Dr Nedal Katib uses is called Aethoxysclerol. It is a common type of sclerosant and only a very small amount is used to reduce the risk of toxicity.
There are some side effects, or unwanted outcomes that can develop from sclerotherapy. The one that most concerns patients is brown discolouration of the skin. This is a type of skin staging that can happen. Although they can resolve with time it is possible to persist for months to years. Complications of sclerotherapy should be discussed with you prior to any treatment. It is important to understand the realistic outcomes that one would expect after sclerotherapy before going ahead.
Comprehensive Vascular Care
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