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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffSclerotherapy is a fairly safe procedure, with few complications.
Temporary side effects
Some side effects that may occur at the site of the injection include:
- Bruising
- Raised red areas
- Small skin sores
- Darkened skin in the form of lines or spots
- Multiple tiny red blood vessels
These side effects usually go away on their own within a few days to several weeks.
Side effects that may require treatment
Other complications are less common but may require treatment. These include:
- Inflammation. This is usually mild but may cause swelling, warmth and discomfort around the injection site. Your doctor may advise aspirin or antibiotics to reduce the inflammation.
- Blood clot. A lump of clotted blood may form in a treated vein that may require drainage. Rarely, a blood clot may travel to a deeper vein in your leg (deep vein thrombosis). Deep vein thrombosis carries a risk of pulmonary embolism, an emergency situation where the clot travels from your leg to your lungs and blocks a vital artery. Seek immediate medical care if you experience difficulty breathing, chest pain or dizziness, or you cough up blood.
- Air bubbles. Tiny air bubbles may rise in your bloodstream. These don't always cause symptoms, but if they do, symptoms include visual disturbances, headache, coughing and nausea. These symptoms generally go away on their own, but call your doctor if you experience problems with limb movement or your sensory skills after the procedure.
- Allergic reaction. It's possible that you may have an allergic reaction to the solution used for treatment, but this is uncommon.
- Sclerotherapy of varicose veins and spider veins. Radiological Society of North America. www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=sclerotherapy. Accessed May 13, 2010.
- Varicose veins and spider veins. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/varicose-spider-veins.pdf. Accessed May 13, 2010.
- Vein treatments: What to expect before, during, and after. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.skincarephysicians.com/agingskinnet/vein_treatments_expect.html. Accessed May 13, 2010.
- Parsons ME. Sclerotherapy basics. Dermatologic Clinics. 2004;22:501.
- Greenberg DL, et al. Liquid and foam sclerotherapy techniques for lower extremity vein ablation. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed May 14, 2010.
- Jia X, et al. Systematic review of foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins. British Journal of Surgery. 2007;94:925.
- Tisi PV, et al. Injection sclerotherapy for varicose veins (review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD001732. http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD001732/frame.html. Accessed May 14, 2010.
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