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Sclerotherapy Vs. Embolization

Sclerotherapy and embolization are two procedures used to treat varicose veins and spider veins--painful and sometimes unsightly medical conditions. Roughly half of all people ages 50 and older are affected, according to WomensHealth.gov.

  1. Significance

    • Often found on the back of the calf or the inside of the leg, varicose veins are swollen vessels that can appear blue, dark purple or even colorless. Spider veins are smaller and have a branching appearance. These swollen veins develop when the valves that direct blood flow within the vessel fail and blood backs up and pools there, according to WomensHealth.gov.

    Sclerotherapy

    • Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for varicose veins and the remedy of choice for small- to medium-sized vessels, whereas embolization is used for larger veins, according to the Mayo Clinic. In sclerotherapy, the doctor injects a solution into the vein that causes it to scar over and close, rerouting blood to healthy vessels.

    Embolization

    • The embolization procedure repairs larger veins in the leg that sclerotherapy is not intended to, according to the Radiological Society of North America. A catheter is guided into the vein using ultrasound and X-ray. Ethanol or another solution is injected as the catheter is removed. The ethanol causes the vein to scar and close.

    Microsclerotherapy

    • Microsclerotherapy is an updated approach to sclerotherapy treatment. Injection solutions and techniques have been advanced with this newer method, making for better outcomes, especially in the treatment of spider veins, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sodium tetradecyl sulphate is the injection solution often used, according to MediZen.

    Other Treatments

    • There are a handful of other remedies that efficaciously treat varicose and spider veins. The heat from laser surgery closes targeted veins; surgical vein stripping--the standard remedy for many years--completely removes the vessel; endovenous thermal ablation is similar to embolization but with the application of heat; and ambulatory phlebectomy removes veins through skin punctures.

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