Scelrotherapy is a medical
technique used to remove unsightly or disabling
varicose veins. Varicose
veins appear as, bloated or darkly color veins usually in the legs or feet. Veins, as opposed to
arteries, return de-oxygenated
blood back to the chest to be
oxygenated in the lungs and redistributed from the heart. Veins, in their ideal state, have an
elastic consistency. The purpose of this elasticity is to help pump, or squeeze
blood against the forces of gravity back up to the heart. In addition, there are tiny valves that open and close along the length of the vein to prevent
retrograde blood flow. However, when the vein becomes brittle or twisted usually from old age,
obesity, or extended periods of standing, the
valve in the vein no longer functions and the blood pools in the veins and enlarges them.
The sclerotherapy procedure involves injecting the varicose vein with a solution that closes off the valve and redirects blood to a healthier vein reducing the amount of discoloration and swelling. This is done in small to medium sized veins
Lasers are also used to seal the veins. Both procedures are outpatient procedures with little or no pain. There are surgical treatments available only for the most serious or extreme cases.