Why Do You Need Compression Stockings After Sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure that treats unsightly varicose veins and so-called spider veins by shrinking them. Patients commonly wear compression stockings following sclerotherapy to promote healing. In June 2007, the "Journal of Vascular Surgery" reported that healing with compression stockings worn for three weeks after sclerotherapy achieved greater masking of veins than without stockings.

Significance

• Sclerotherapy is an outpatient procedure in which a solution is injected into varicose veins using a tiny needle. This scars and closes them. Treated veins then fade over a few weeks. Patients are told to wear compression stockings to ensure the injected veins do not reopen, according to Northwestern University's Vein Center.

Features

• When you undergo sclerotherapy treatment, you must bring compression stockings with you to the procedure in many cases, according to Northwestern University's Vein Center. The center advises wearing the stockings immediately after treatment and around the clock, except when you bathe, for the first three or four days. You can remove the stockings at night for the next seven to 10 days.

Effects

• The stockings also help alleviate any bruising the procedure may cause. According to Northwestern University's Vein Center, this is why it's especially crucial that the stockings be worn as specifically prescribed.

Warning

• Northwestern University's Vein Center says that patients recovering from sclerotherapy can return to their typical level of exercise one week after the procedure. However, they must wear their compression stockings as prescribed, especially during exercise, to discourage the treated veins from opening.

Help

• According to MayoClinic.com, compression stockings can be used as a first line of defense in treating varicose veins. The steady pressure from the stockings allows blood to flow more easily through vessels. If the stockings don't help your condition, your doctor might suggest vein stripping, laser surgery, ambulatory phlebectomy or endoscopic vein surgery.