What are the advantages of sclerotherapy?

Sclerotherapy is a method that has long been proved to be safe and effective in the treatment of varicose veins of all types and sizes. Alternative treatment options usually have to be combined with other methods, such as sclerotherapy, in order to remove all the different types of varicose veins present. These days, modern foam sclerotherapy is regarded as a good alternative to an operation. According to the new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, foam sclerotherapy is recommended in preference to surgery for the treatment of trunk veins.
In any case, sclerotherapy is minimally invasive and almost painless. It can be carried out quickly and you can resume your normal daily activities immediately afterwards. In addition, it can save costs – no other method of treatment is as cost-effective as sclerotherapy.

Unlike surgical and thermal procedures such as laser therapy, you do not need an anaesthetic for sclerotherapy. All anaesthetics carry a risk of possible side effects – something that you can avoid if you do not need to have local or general anaesthesia. When removing varicose veins surgically, the doctor always has to cut through healthy tissue to get to the diseased veins. Important structures such as nerves, blood vessels, and lymph channels may accidentally be injured in the process. No incisions are needed for sclerotherapy, which also means that you will not have any operation scars afterwards.

After the surgical removal of varicose veins, it is very difficult to perform a second operation in the same area. On the other hand, sclerotherapy can be repeated in the same area without difficulty.