Sclerotherapy involves the direct injection of a sclerosing agent into the varicose vein using a very fine needle. This chemical solution irritates the vein tissue, causing the lining of the vein to swell, harden and eventually seal off.

Before treatment, a complete medical history is taken and a thorough medical examination is conducted. This is done to determine how long the problem has existed, the severity of the symptoms, and whether or not the condition is affected by physical activity. It is also done to see if you have undergone prior surgery or other vein therapy. At this time, the physician assesses if your deep vein system is affected. If so, he or she may recommend that you have surgery before undergoing sclerotherapy.

Preprocedure instructions may include the elimination of certain drugs that contain aspirin to minimize the possibility of excessive bleeding. The physician also decides whether or not the area to be treated should be shaven. Then, each vein to be treated is mapped out and marked using a special pen. After the skin has been thoroughly cleansed with alcohol, the physician injects a small amount of the sclerosing agent directly into the vein. Larger varicose veins are generally treated first.