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What is the chance that spider veins will return after treatment?

This question was asked in Nashville, Tennessee and has 10 answer(s) as of 09/29/2014.
What is the chance that spider veins will return after treatment?


Doctors Answers (10)

Once treated correctly they will not return, however new ones can develop. Before treating your spider veins, you should first be completely evaluated to see if there are any underlying problems contributing to your spider veins. Most all insurances cover treatment of symptomatic chronic venous insufficiency.

Varicose vein disease is a chronic and progressive issue that can show up as large bumpy veins down to the tiny purple spider veins. The common thread is that these veins have become over stretched and dilated. We don't know what causes it and therefore we can't cure it. However, there are very effective treatments to treat abnormal veins. Usually the treatments will cause the targeted veins to shrink and disappear but rarely some may reopen or recur. However, the majority of 'new' veins seen are just that...veins that were previously normal and not seen but have over time broken down under the influence of this varicose vein disease.

If the spider veins are treated correctly they should not return. We need to determine if you have any underlying vein disease that is causing your spider veins. If we are able to correct the problem that is causing your spider veins then the success rate is higher.

Spider veins typically take multiple treatments to get rid of them. Unfortunately, after treatment the body continues to produce new spider veins. Thus ongoing management is usually required. The good news is that spider vein therapies have come a long way!

Ideally, the treated veins would not return. However, new veins may emerge in an area that was previously treated. It is always best to have a Duplex ultrasound prior to treatment to check for underlying veins disease.

Although no treatment is 100% effective in all patients, chances are very slim for spider veins to return if properly treated. The ideal treatment scenario includes closing of the saphenous vein ( with additional sclerotherapy sessions) and compression stockings wear for 2 weeks.

If the root cause is not diagnosed then the likelihood of them returning is high. Before having spider veins treated patient should have an ultrasound to find of why superficial spider veins are showing up in the first place. Once the cause is know then it can be treated appropriately and then the likelihood of spider veins returning is very low.

Spider veins, telangiectasia in medical terms, are veins near the surface of the skin measuring less than 1 mm in diameter. If these veins resolve after sclerotherapy treatment, they usually will not reappear, BUT other telangiectasia may form later. This is true particularly if there are larger abnormal veins called reticular veins under the skin which continue to feed venous blood under high pressure to the skin. For this reason, reticular veins need to be treated as well.

When you are prone to veins there is a strong likelihood that you will develop more over time.

Very small, less than 10%.
