What Are Injectable Vein Treatments and What Do They Treat?
A vein injection is a minimally invasive way to treat spider veins and varicose veins. Doctors can inject a sclerosing solution that’s either liquid or foam into the vein. This irritates the vein walls, creating scar tissue that seals it closed. Once it’s closed, blood can no longer enter the blood vessel, so the varicose vein or spider vein shrinks and disappears.
Alternately, doctors can inject an adhesive, like cyanoacrylate glue, into the vein to seal it shut. Vein adhesive injections are also minimally invasive, and require no surgery, anesthesia or recovery time. Injecting sclerosants or adhesives into a vein is a permanent solution, when it’s done correctly. But there are some factors that can impede it. One factor is an error by the vein specialist. Read on to learn why the vein specialist matters. Or book an appointment with Harvard-trained vein doctors in New Jersey for expert vein injections.
Are Injections Permanent in Varicose Veins and Spider Veins?
Varicose veins are large, bulging, twisted veins that often appear as an individual blood vessel. Spider veins are smaller, non-protuberant veins that often develop in clusters. Injecting either of these veins is a permanent treatment, if the right sclerosant is selected. Varicose veins are often larger than spider veins, so they might require a foam sclerosant, instead of a liquid.
Since foam expands, it can fill a larger blood vessel and make thorough contact with the vein’s walls. Irritating the venous walls is key to closing off the vein. Foam sclerosants can also coat a large vein without substantially increasing the dosage. If a vein doctor injects a liquid sclerosant into a large vein, it might pass through without thoroughly coating the vein. So, choose a board certified vein doctor to ensure you receive the right sclerosant.
In addition, both varicose veins and spider veins often stem from an underlying vein disease called Chronic Venous Insufficiency. If you don’t treat that, you can develop additional varicose veins and spider veins. Our vein doctors treat vein disease, varicose veins, and spider veins with minimally invasive, outpatient procedures in under 30 minutes. Choose a vein doctor over a cosmetic vein specialist to prevent continual development of damaged veins.
Is One Injection Enough for Veins to Disappear?
When it’s placed correctly, and adequate medication is used, one injection is sufficient for veins to disappear. However, some people have multiple veins to treat, in various parts of the body, so they will need additional injections. If a vein is injected properly, one treatment per blood vessel will suffice.
Once a vein is closed, it’s absorbed by surrounding tissue, eliminating it from the circulatory process. Blood flows away from the sealed vein and into adjacent veins that carry it back to the heart. If you develop a varicose vein or spider vein after successful treatment, it’s likely a different vein that resulted from neglecting the underlying cause.
Will You Need Follow-Up Injections in the Treated Area?
No, if your vein is treated correctly, it won’t return. However, some vein centers don’t treat veins correctly, so choose a qualified vein doctor. As mentioned, it’s possible for new varicose veins and spider veins to develop near the treated area, if the underlying cause isn’t treated. This is not a recurrence, but new vein damage that develops nearby because it stems from the same broken valve.
Does Treatment Require More Than One Injection Site?
Some patients will need more than one injection site, if they have vein damage in both legs, or in an arm and a leg. In addition, vein damage with different sources, (like a vein in the thigh and another vein in the calf) might require multiple injections. The good news is, these are painless injections, not incisions. So, you won’t need stitches, bandages, or wound care following the procedure. You can drive yourself home, and even go back to work if you like.
Do Injections Last Longer If You Wear Compression Stockings?
If an injection is done properly, compression stockings aren’t needed to make the treatment last. However, some patients need to wear compression stockings to help their blood flow into the new vein that will carry it back to the heart. This is true with certain leg veins, since they must pump blood against gravity and are more prone to venous reflux. If your vein doctor recommends compression therapy, it will likely be for 72 hours or less. Patients with vein injections in their face, arms, or torso don’t use compression stockings.
Are All Blood Vessels Good Candidates for Vein Injections?
Vein injections like sclerotherapy and cyanoacrylate glue are among the safest and least invasive vein treatments. However, not every blood vessel is a good candidate for injections. A patient with a blood clot might need radiofrequency ablation, which heats the vein rather than injecting liquid into it. This prevents the blood clot from breaking loose and traveling through the vein.
Some veins are too large to be successfully treated with injections. These might require mechanochemical ablation, which disrupts the vein walls mechanically and chemically for dual impact. A good vein doctor will analyze your medical history and venous anatomy to determine the best plan.
Are Larger Veins Better Suited to Other Treatments?
Injections are often the first treatment to consider for spider veins. But are they as effective for varicose veins? The answer depends on variables like the vein’s location, size, and tortuosity. Many larger veins are well suited to foam vein injections like Varithena. This polidocanol injection can fill a large vein, but deactivate quickly, so medication won’t enter connecting veins.
Some large or deep veins also require ultrasound guidance, so the doctor can position the device correctly and observe treatment through the vein. Cosmetic vein centers typically use liquid sclerosants injected in the top layer of the skin. But vein doctors can inject deeper veins using technology like Duplex Ultrasound.
Could You Have an Allergic Reaction or Other Complications?
Complications of vein injections are rare and often mild. You might experience redness, bruising, or mild inflammation at the injection site. Some patients develop temporary skin darkening or tiny spider veins in the treated area. These typically resolve on their own. An allergic reaction is possible, but your doctor will assess your susceptibility before selecting your treatment. If you have an allergic reaction, it’s typically mild, brief, and self-resolving, like contact dermatitis.
The serious complication to monitor is a blood clot that travels to the lungs. This is exceedingly rare, but seek medical attention promptly if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or a cough that produces blood. Choose a vein doctor with ultrasound training who will identify blood clots prior to treatment.
How Long Do Vein Injections Last with NJ Vein Doctors?
Our award-winning NJ vein doctors perform permanent vein closure with vein injections. All of our vein doctors are board certified and trained in the full range of sclerosing solutions. We use ultrasound guidance to detect problems before treatment, and we also use ultrasound to administer and observe treatment, ensuring its success. The answer to, “How long do vein injections last,” depends on who treats your veins. Choose our vein doctors for lasting results.