Spider veins

What are spider veins?

– Spider veins, also called telangiectasia or thread veins, are extremely fine red vessels that are less than 1mm in diameter and develop on the legs, face, chest and neck.
– They are often fed by larger and slightly deeper blue straight veins called reticular veins.
– Unlike varicose veins, which are raised and lumpy, spider veins and reticular veins are flat.
– Spider veins are new veins that have grown in the skin whereas varicose veins are veins which have always been there but have become dilated (stretched up and bulging) and tortuous (windy or twisted) due to high pressure in the superficial venous system.

What causes spider veins?

– Spider veins have no definitive cause but are often associated with varicose veins.
– Varicose veins are usually deeper veins feeding the patch of spider veins often associated with increased pressure in the venous system.
– The increased pressure is due to valves not functioning properly.
– Some authors suggest that spider veins are associated with hormonal changes.
– They become more extensive with age, pregnancy and menopause.

How do I know if my spider veins are something more serious?

– If you wish to find out the degree of your vein issues, you may wish to have a leg ultrasound first.
And if you wish to claim a Medicare rebate, you will only receive anything back from Medicare if the ultrasound confirms there is no significant underlying vein disease.
– The reason for this is because of the spider veins are treated, but underlying disease is not, the spider veins are much more likely to come back.
– Ultrasound is safe, painless and non-invasive and there are no needles or injections.
– Gel is put on the skin and the blood flow in the veins is examined.
– During your first consult, Dr Sung will also review your scan/scans, perform a physical assessment and devise a treatment plant that is optimal for your vein condition.

How are spider veins treated?

– Spider veins are treated with ultrasound guided sclerotherapy or UGS. We pride ourselves to be among the most affordable providers of sclerotherapy offering full leg injections for $600, with one to three injections per leg usually involved, depending on the severity of the disease.
– Involves injecting a solution either liquid or foam into the spider veins.
– The injection is done using ultrasound guidance so that the injection is highly accurate and the solution is injected into the correct spot.
– Often the solution flows into the patch of spider veins and it initially disappears completely.
– The solution then creates a reaction in the spider vein wall so it then becomes red and angry.
– The reaction causes the spider vein to block off so it becomes a thread of scar tissue under the skin (the vein “scleroses”) which can not be seen.
– Another option is direct vision sclerotherapy. This involves injecting a similar solution (or a lower strength) directly into the spider veins.
– It is done using magnification and with a special polarised light which makes them easier to see and inject. This option is generally used for simpler spider vein procedures.

How successful is treatment of spider veins?

– Generally speaking spider veins do not return if there is underlying vein disease that is treated first.
– However, the more complete the initial treatment, the longer the satisfactory result will last.
– It is also important to remember that while it will work well with existing spider veins, it will not necessarily stop new veins forming, again especially if underlying disease is not treated well.
– The degree of “clearance” is generally very noticeable.
– Often spider veins will not disappear completely (unless there are very few and they are very small).
– However most patients achieve an even appearance where most of the spider veins have faded significantly and many have disappeared completely.
– An improvement of up to 60- 80% percent can be expected within three to six months, with generally one to three treatments required and a top up treatment every two years.