Specialty Services

Spider Vein Treatment

Do you have spider veins? Have you had previous treatments with suboptimal results? Now you no longer have to live with these conditions. The VEIN CENTER of St. Paul Radiology provides the latest technology in the treatment of varicose veins, spider veins, and cosmetic laser treatments. Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, only they are smaller. They are often red or blue and are closer to the surface of the skin than varicose veins. They can look like tree branches or spider webs with their short jagged lines. Spider veins can be found on the legs and face. They can cover either a very small or very large area of skin.

Procedures used:

• Sclerotherapy
• Cutaneous Laser Therapy

FAQs

• Q: What are Spider Veins?
  A: Spider veins are the tiny veins that appear on the surface of the skin. They are usually red, blue or purple. Sometimes they are associated with varicose veins and cannot be successfully treated until the varicose veins are treated. Spider veins that appear on the medial part of the leg along the inside of the knee or ankle may be a sign of a more significant underlying problem with the saphenous vein. Spider veins with no associated symptoms or bulging veins are generally considered a cosmetic problem.
• Q: How are spider veins treated?
  A: Spider veins can be treated with sclerotherapy or cutaneous laser. A tiny needle is used during sclerotherapy to inject a solution into the vein causing the vein to scar down. After the vein “dies” the body breaks it down and reabsorbs it. A cutaneous laser is used when the veins are too small to be injected or after the larger veins have been injected. The laser delivers energy to the vein causing damage to the vein wall and coagulation of the small red blood cells within the vein. The body then reabsorbs the vein.
• Q: Do spider veins come back?
  A: The spider veins treated with sclerotherapy will disappear over a period of months and will not reappear. Nothing can prevent or predict if new spider veins may re-appear over a period of time. Typically the treatment of spider veins is something that needs to be maintained over the years. Typically patients will return in 18 months to 2 years for evaluation of any new spider veins.