Spider veins, otherwise known as telangiectasias, usually occur on the thighs, legs, and around the knees. Although usually asymptomatic, these are extremely cosmetically bothersome to some. There are several techniques to remove these unsightly lesions. Recently several lasers have been developed to treat telangiectasias. While these lasers are successful, they are significantly more expensive than traditional techniques described on this page. For more information on the laser treatment of spider veins, please see "Laser Spider Vein Treatment" under the "Laser Surgery" heading on our procedure page.

The traditional method of treating spider veins is to inject them with a sclerosant such as hypertonic saline (concentrated salt water) or a chemical called polydoconol. The sclerosant is injected through a very fine needle into the lumen of the spider vein. This causes such irritation of the walls of the spider veins that they heal closed. These spider veins are then gone forever. However, this treatment (as well as laser treatment for that matter) does not prevent future spider veins from appearing.

Minor discomfort is experienced when the very fine needle is placed into the spider vein.

The procedure is performed in Dr. Revis’ office.

After the procedure, Dr. Revis will bandage your legs from toe to thigh. You should plan to elevate your legs for the remainder of the day of treatment. The next day, you may remove the original bandage, bathe, and reapply a compression garment to your legs. This helps keep the veins collapsed as they heal closed. You should wear this garment at all times for the first week.

Multiple treatments are sometimes necessary for more extensive clusters of spider veins. Small, linear spider veins are usually gone after one treatment.

Dr. Revis requires at least three weeks between sessions for healing to occur. At this point, results may be accurately assessed from the previous session.