Q & A with the Docs: Endovenous Thermal Ablation + Sclerotherapy
How long does it take for sclerotherapy take to work? Do you need more than 1 endovenous thermal ablation? Great questions that Dr. Hansen has some answers to.
Q: Does endovenous thermal ablation require more than 1 treatment?
A: In general, it should only take one session to close a specific superficial vein. Most insurance companies will only pay to treat up to 2 veins in a day. We also use lidocaine to numb the treated veins and we can only use so much lidocaine in a day. Once the vein is treated it should stay closed around 94% of the time. At Physicians Vein Clinics, we follow our patients very closely to make sure the veins stay closed and our closure rate is significantly better than 94%.
Q: How long does it take for sclerotherapy to work?
A: Sclerotherapy is the use of a sclerosant injected into veins that we want to close. Sclerotherapy works immediately by damaging the lining of the vein. The vein will then close and then the vein will be removed by your body. In general, the larger the vein the longer the time needed for the body to remove the veins. At Physicians Vein Clinics, we can treat from the very small veins to the very large bulging veins.
These questions were answered by our board-certified physician, Dr. Hansen, MD, DABVLM, RPhS. You can find Dr. Hansen in our Sioux Falls, SD; Watertown, SD; and Moorhead, MN vein clinics.
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We have 10 vein clinic locations across South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Our vein specialists are board-certified and highly skilled in treating spider veins, varicose veins and other vein-related symptoms. Schedule your consultation today to jump-start your vein treatment!