Leg Vein Treatments | Sclerotherapy

It's always gratifying when clinical research affirms a direction I take in my own practice. Such is the case with a new solution used in sclerotherapy, or injection therapy, the most common and effective treatment for spider veins on the legs.
 
With sclerotherapy, a special sclerosing solution is injected into the unwanted veins; the solution irritates the lining of the tiny blood vessel, causing it to eventually collapse. Over several weeks, the body absorbs the vein and blood is redirected to a healthy vein, restoring proper circulation.
 
The sclerosing solution used most often is a saline solution (known as sodium tetradecyl sulfate, or STS). But a recent study comparing the safety and efficacy of using a glycerin solution versus STS showed that the glycerin solution was more effective. Patients in this study were treated with both solutions — one in each leg. In the legs treated with the glycerin solution, the spider veins cleared faster, and with less pain and fewer side effects. In fact, when the doctor conducting this study followed up with patients after two to six months, he found that the legs treated with the glycerin solution had a greater clearance of spider veins by a margin of 7 to 1 compared to the legs treated with STS.