Sclerotherapy for Spider Veins in Spokane Valley

Sclerotherapy at this practice treats small surface spider veins on the legs — the fine, visible vessels that sit just under the skin. These are the kind that show as thread-like lines or small clusters on the surface, and they are what the injection is aimed at. This is a cosmetic treatment for the appearance of surface vessels, not a treatment for larger or deeper leg veins.

Sclerotherapy for surface spider veins is not a treatment for underlying venous disease. The two are different problems, and treating the surface appearance of a deeper one does not address the deeper one — it can mask it.

Leg symptoms such as aching, heaviness, swelling, skin changes or ulceration can indicate a circulatory problem that needs proper medical assessment rather than a cosmetic injection. Those symptoms are not something sclerotherapy is meant to address, and they are not something to work around by treating the visible veins on top of them. A patient with those symptoms should be evaluated for what is causing them, not treated cosmetically for what they can see.

This practice will say so. If what you are describing sounds like it could be an underlying circulatory problem rather than a surface one, you will be told that directly and referred on for proper assessment — not injected for the surface appearance of a deeper issue. Being told that is not a refusal of treatment. It is the treatment doing what it is supposed to do, which is to be honest about what it is and is not for.

Sclerotherapy is not appropriate for everyone. It is not appropriate during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. It requires an individual assessment for anyone with a history of blood clots or clotting disorders, because the way the treatment works depends on how the vein closes and reabsorbs — and that interacts with clotting. It is not appropriate over infected or inflamed skin at the treatment site.

This may not be right for you if:

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• You have a history of blood clots or a clotting disorder.
• You have infected or inflamed skin where the treatment would be done.
• You have leg symptoms such as aching, heaviness, swelling, skin changes or ulceration — those need a different assessment.

Keanna evaluates you first. She examines the area, takes your history, and decides whether sclerotherapy is appropriate for the veins you are asking about — or whether what you are describing needs a different kind of assessment. If it is appropriate, the injection is placed into the surface vein, and you are told what to expect afterward before it starts.

Bruising, raised welts, itching and temporary darkening along the treated vein are common afterward. Compression may be recommended. Treated veins fade gradually rather than disappearing at once, and more than one session is often needed to address the veins that are visible. You are given aftercare instructions and a way to reach the practice if something concerns you — and the person you reach is the person responsible for your care.