Injection treatment - Sclerotherapy

Transcription

1 Patient information Injection treatment - Sclerotherapy Vascular Surgery Surgical Division PIF 203/V5

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3 You have been advised by your Consultant to have Sclerotherapy. About the treatment Injection treatment is usually ony suitable for minor varicose veins for cosmetic reasons. It is not suitable for very minor purple or blue thread veins. It works by injecting an irritant chemical into your vein, which causes the vein to close off so it is no longer visible. It is not suitable if you have major varicose veins. What are the benefits of Injection Sclerotherapy? The small veins should disappear. What are the risks of Injection Sclerotherapy? The chemical injected into your vein can cause redness and soreness over your vein while it is working. This can last for two weeks or more but will settle eventually. It is usually eased with anti-inflammatory tablets like Ibuprofen, Brufen or Nurofen. Sometimes you can be left with brown staining of your skin where your veins were. This can fade with time but in some cases it can be permanent. If the chemical leaks out of your vein it can be painful and may even result in a small ulcer or a break in your skin. This will heal in time but again may result in some staining or scarring of the area. Occasionally the treatment will fail and you will still notice your veins. If you are worried about any of these risks, please speak to your Consultant or a member of their team.

4 Are there alternative treatments available? You may wish to consider wearing below knee compression stockings to alleviate your symptoms. In some patients surgical removal of the veins may be an alternative treatment. We are now able to perform laser therapy for some types of varicose veins and you should discuss this with your doctor who will advise what is most appropriate. We do not use any methods to resolve thread veins. What will happen if I decide not to have any treatment? Varicose veins are not a life threatening condition and in the majority of cases there will be no long-term effects from not having them treated. There is an exception in cases where there is chronic venous hypertension, which may lead to ulceration. Your doctor will be able to discuss this with you Before your treatment Depending on the type of oral contraceptive pill you use, you may be asked to stop taking it one month before your treatment. Therefore, it is very important to use other contraception methods. There is little evidence that low dose "mini-pills" and hormone replacement therapy (HRT.) need to be stopped. If you have a job that involves a lot of standing, please arrange to have a few days off after the injection. Avoid commitments that will prevent you from resting for the first few days after treatment. During injection treatment You will come into hospital to have the treatment, which will be carried out on the day ward. The veins are marked with you standing up and the injections are performed with you lying on the bed. You will usually have a small number of injections using a small needle. No anaesthetic is required.

5 After the injections your leg will be wrapped with a firm bandage that should be kept for a week. Please do not drive yourself home from the clinic. Arrange for somebody to collect you or take a bus or taxi. After injection treatment You will be asked to rest for a while and then you can go home. The nursing staff will advise you about painkillers before you leave hospital, please tell the nursing staff what painkillers you have at home. For the first 24 hours you should try to rest most of the time with your leg up on a sofa. During this time it is important to keep moving your foot and ankle to make sure blood keeps flowing back up the veins in your leg. After the first day you can resume normal activities as soon as you feel able to. If your leg is aching, then try to rest with it up on a sofa. The bandage can be removed after a week by either yourself or your District nurse, GP or Practice Nurse. If the leg is uncomfortable, you may find a below-knee support stocking to be helpful. You should be able to return to work quite quickly usually after a week or so. Further appointments You will be given an appointment for approximately eight weeks after your treatment to be seen in the Outpatient Clinic.

6 Further Information Barbara Gwynne Vascular Specialist Nurse Tel: and ask for bleep 212 Fax:

7 Author: Vascular Surgery Department Review date: May 2013

8 All Trust approved information is available on request in alternative formats, including other languages, easy read, large print, audio, Braille, moon and electronically. A5/White