Post Sponsored by Clark Memorial Hospital Vein Center 

Concealing your spider veins may be a pain, but permanently removing them is simple and painless. Marla Beeler, APRN with the Clark Physician Group Thoracic and Vascular Surgery Center, talks about the benefits of sclerotherapy — a vein removal treatment she uses on her clients.

Q: What is Sclerotherapy?
A: “It is a procedure that removes unsightly spider veins.”

Q: How does it work?
A: “We use a very small needle to inject a medicine called asclera into the vein. It scars the vein so the body can no longer use it. The body absorbs the vessel and starts to use the healthy blood vessels instead and this decreases or resolves the spider vein.”

Q: How is Sclerotherapy different from other vein removal treatments?
A: “The laser is more topical and not quite as accurate, whereas with sclerotherapy, we are injecting the medicine directly into the vein.”

Q: Do you set up a consultation with the patient first?
A: “We look at the risk factors and varicose veins. Varicose veins should return the blood from the bottom of the leg to the heart, but when they age, they become less competent. When you have incompetent veins, the blood sits in the vein longer than it should which stretches the vein. Over time, the vein bulges.”

Q: Is the procedure painful?
A: There is a little bit of burning. The most common side effect is stinging, but it only lasts a few seconds.”

Q: Is there any recovery time?
A: “We encourage you to go back to work. There is no real recovery time. We want you to be up on your feet to keep the blood and asclera in your veins so that the scarring happens.”

Q: How long does it take for the veins to disappear?
A: “They are usually gone within 8-12 weeks.”

Q: What is the cost?
A: “The first [treatment] vial is $120. Every vial thereafter is $65. We can do a maximum of five vials per setting, but most people only need between two and four vials.”
