Unfortunately, when patients have had Sclerotherapy at another clinic, the results are usually less than impressive. As a consequence the patient thinks that Sclerotherapy doesn’t work for them. The reason for this poor result is usually simple – the reticular veins, the veins that feed into the spider veins, have not been treated PRIOR to treating the spider veins (“telangiectasia”). This is the most common mistake that is made by doctors with the invariable result that either the spider veins do not go, they are made worse or they come back very quickly (less than 1 year). Sometimes the cause for a poor result is that the patient has an underlying deeper problem (that can only be determined by an Ultrasound examination) but this situation is less common. The reason why doctors don’t treat the reticular veins is because they don’t understand the significance of these veins or that they find treatment of these veins too technically difficult. The reason why the underlying incompetence is not diagnosed is because there is often not a high enough “index of suspicion” about the cause of the problem. These issues are addressed by having your veins treated by a doctor who has had accredited training through an established organisation like the Australasian College of Phlebology.

The short answer is a qualified yes.

Varicose Veins: If someone presents with varicose veins I can guarantee that I will get rid of the varicose veins. I can also guarantee that it will be very unlikely that they will ever get any varicose veins related to the underlying vein that I have treated (provided they come in for the scheduled reviews after their initial treatment).

Spider Veins: For cosmetic spider vein concerns I can guarantee that I will significantly improve the current situation.

If a patient has had multiple previous treatments, that have been unsuccessful and have resulted in an even worse situation, then the expected improvement is obviously not as good as if I had the opportunity to treat the legs initially. Of course I cannot guarantee that spider veins or varicose veins will not occur in other areas as this is the result of genetic coding. Treatment of the underlying incompetent veins by Endovenous Laser Ablation or Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy does not affect whether veins will occur in other areas.

I have various hurdles that patients must “jump” over before I will treat their spider veins or varicose veins for cosmetic concerns. In a world of increasing concern about physical appearance, I need to be convinced that the cosmetic concerns are reasonable. By this I mean would an average person think it reasonable for the patient to be seeking treatment. I also use the “2 meter rule” whereby if I cannot see any veins standing 2 meters away then I will not treat. Also if a patient has had numerous previous treatments which have resulted in a poor result then I will be reluctant to treat. This situation is like getting lots of poor tradesmen to do a renovation and by the time a skilled tradesman comes along the structure is just too badly damaged to get an acceptable result no matter what the expertise of the tradesman. I also reluctant to treat patients younger than 21 years old because results are generally not as good as for “older” patients and the tolerance of young patients for the discomfort of treatment and side effects is less. Side effects, particularly matting, are more common in younger patients.

I am often asked "Should I get my varicose veins or spider veins treated?" The answer is generally "yes" for someone with cosmetic concerns provided the patient has been fully informed of the risks of treatment and they are realistic in their expectations for treatment. If the cosmetic concerns are minor and the patient is young then I generally advise that they seek treatment when their cosmetic concerns are more significant to justify the cost and risk of treatment. Often a patient will present with large varicose veins that are not really concerning them cosmetically and are not associated with any aching. This situation warrants an assessment of whether the patient has significant risk of complications if the situation is left untreated. This is assessed by making a decision about the relative risk based on the pressure effects into the ankle (and the associated risk of ulceration) and the risk of thrombosis (based on past history and size of varicose veins). For some patients the risk of bleeding is also a consideration.

Obviously the older the patient is then the less likely I am to advise a procedure is appropriate unless there has already been a complication (complications tend to recur). If I am in any doubt whether treatment is in the patients best interests I will suggest a review in 6-12 months to determine the rate of progression.

There is very little evidence that any specific measures are helpful in preventing varicose veins. However limiting or modifying some of the contributing factors may be helpful in preventing progression of varicose veins. It is likely that exercise, avoiding be overweight and avoiding long periods of standing stationary might be helpful. You should also avoid wearing garments (socks or stockings) that restrict the blood flow from your legs. It may be helpful to avoid constipation and it may also be useful to avoid wearing high heel shoes for prolonged periods of time as these shoes mean the calf muscle is unable to provide an optimal pumping effect. There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that crossing your legs has any effect on varicose veins.

Spider veins are invariably treated with Sclerotherapy whereby a small amount of solution (the sclerosant) is injected into the abnormal veins to close them off. The body then dissolves these treated veins. Laser treatment of spider veins has produced inferior results to Sclerotherapy. As with all medical treatments the skill of the treating doctor is a critical component to achieving a successful result. The Australasian College of Phlebology has a register of doctors credentialed to perform certain procedures. Varicose veins are increasingly being treated less with surgery (“vein stripping”) and more with the “non-surgical” procedures of Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy (UGS) and Endovenous Laser Ablation (ELA). Some Phlebologists still perform adjunctive surgery (ambulatory phlebectomies) in association with one of the non-surgical techniques. Whether UGS or ELA is used depends on many factors with the most important being the size of the vein being treated. The larger the veins are more likely to be treated with ELA.

Compression stockings

These come in a variety of compression strengths ranging from support pantyhose to Class 3 medical compression stockings. In between are the compression stockings that are useful in the prevention of DVT’s when flying and the anti-embolism stockings that are often work in hospital. After Sclerotherapy it is usual for a Class 2 stocking to be worn from 3 days to 2 weeks depending on which vein was treated. As an adjunct to wearing stockings it is important to do as much walking as is possible.

Endovenous techniques (radiofrequency and laser)

In many countries Endovenous Laser Ablation (ELA) is replacing, or has replaced, the traditional surgical “stripping” of veins. The reasons for this are that ELA can be done as an office procedure (walk-in, walk-out) and has less risk than surgery. It also does not have the recovery time associated with surgery. The long term results of ELA are excellent. Importantly the recurrence rate of new varicose veins after surgery, which is often very concerning for patients, is avoided by performing ELA. The technique of ELA consists of placing a small laser fibre up the middle of the vein. This fibre is then very slowly withdrawn from and the laser energy from the tip of the fibre then heat seals as it is withdrawn. The laser is introduced via a 3-4 mm cut (done under local anaesthetic) and the procedure itself is also done under local anaesthetic. Normal walking is possible straight away as the local anaesthetic is not into the muscles but only placed around the vein being treated. The actual laser treatment is painless although some patients report a buzzing sensation.

Spider veins are NOT dangerous and present a cosmetic concern although they can occasionally be associated with some minor aching particularly after prolonged standing. Varicose veins on the other hand can be associated with Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism, ulceration of the skin (usually around the ankles), cellulitis (if the damaged skin gets infected) and significant bleeding episodes if the varicose vein is traumatised and bursts. For many people though varicose veins are small and not associated with much in the way of symptoms and the risk of the aforementioned problems is low.

The main factor is gravity. Because both varicose veins and spider veins are associated with faulty one way valves that allow back pressure, and the legs have the biggest effect from gravity, this is where varicose veins and spider veins most frequently occur. It is common to get spider veins on face particularly around the cheeks and nose but this is predominantly due to sun damage.

The most important factor in whether or not you will develop varicose veins is your genetic background. This situation can be aggravated by relative inactivity, occupation (prolonged standing), pregnancy, constipation, wearing high heel shoes, being overweight and advancing age. There is also some evidence that dietary factors may have some influence but the specific foods have not been identified.

Varicose veins are the sausage like veins that appear “above” the surface of the skin. This distinguishes them from the very fine spider veins that appear on the surface of the skin. Spider veins appear as fine purple, blue or red veins in a network sometimes looking like a “spiders web”. Varicose veins, if severe, can look like a bunch of grapes, particularly around the inside of the knee. Varicose veins are invariably associated with a deeper vein that is not working. This “incompetent” deeper vein has either faulty or absent one-way valves that results in back pressure down the vein and the subsequent appearance of varicose veins on the surface. Thus, varicose veins can be thought of as “escape routes” for the underlying back pressure.

Spider veins on the other hand rarely have any underlying incompetent veins but invariably are associated with larger surface veins with faulty valves. These “reticular” veins which are blue or green in appearance also have back pressure which then leads to the formation of spider veins (“telangiectasia”). Because of the association of varicose veins and spider veins with these “high pressure” feeder veins it is critical that these associated veins are treated for a satisfactory result to be obtained.