By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Conservatives: The Utah Health Exchange is Not a Model
    July 23, 2011
    Medical Malpractice Reform Losing Physician Support
    November 7, 2011
    Hospitals Aim to Apply Direct Payments of Care Delivery to Increase Resources
    August 28, 2012
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Varicose Vein Treatment – EVLT Versus Sclerotherapy
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Varicose Vein Treatment – EVLT Versus Sclerotherapy
SpecialtiesTechnology

Varicose Vein Treatment – EVLT Versus Sclerotherapy

Melanie Lepow
Last updated: November 17, 2022 5:45 pm
Melanie Lepow
Share
7 Min Read
SHARE

EVLT (Endovenous Laser Therapy) and sclerotherapy are the two most popular types of varicose vein treatment performed in vein clinics. However, many potential patients, searching for answers online, seem to be more than a little confused on which procedure should be used for which types of varicose vein situations. The truth is that in many cases, either procedure could work in the right skilled hands, but in most cases, there are good reasons for choosing one procedure over the other. We’ll discuss some of the main reasons for choosing EVLT versus sclerotherapy below.

Both EVLT and sclerotherapy have the same goal by the end of the varicose vein treatment. They both go inside the varicose vein and “ablate” it from within, causing the vein to collapse and seal up, rendering it incapable of blood transport, and incapable of even holding blood. As the collapsed vein dissolves, the body carries it away, bit by bit, and actually recycles the reusable parts into other tissues, just like we recycle old soda cans that have been crushed into brand new aluminum objects! The human body is truly  amazing in this way, but I digress! Once the varicose vein is sealed off, the body’s circulatory system finds detours around this sealed off vein and eventually a new permanent circulatory route is established through other healthier veins.

EVLT varicose vein treatment closes off the varicose vein by using the heat energy from a tiny laser on a thin cable that is injected into the varicose vein and then moved through that vein. Sclerotherapy varicose vein treatment, on the other hand, injects the faulty vein with a salty solution, called a sclerosant, to cause the vein to collapse and seal off. This sclerosant can be liquid or foam, depending on how big the treated varicose vein is. In EVLT, doppler venous ultrasound is usually used to get a continuous picture of the where the laser is located for accuracy in the procedure. Doppler venous ultrasound can also be helpful in sclerotherapy to visualize the extent that the sclerosant has infiltrated the vein to determine if more sclerosant needs to be injected.

Now, let’s compare and contrast when sclerotherapy and EVLT varicose vein treatment and show when each is the best procedure to choose. Sclerotherapy tends to be used on smaller veins, including larger spider veins (there are different kinds of lasers that are used on really small spider veins), except when they occur on the face, since the sclerosant can be dangerous near the eye socket. Keep in mind this is not always true but it is usually true. Sclerotherapy is a faster to perform and less expensive type of varicose vein treatment than EVLT so this factor may come into play too when deciding which procedure to use, especially in situations where insurance will not cover a procedure.

More Read

The Substantial Reasons Behind Family Support For Drug Treatment
Baby Boomer’s Guide to Dealing with Knee Problems
Here’s How IT And Healthcare Go Hand In Hand
Survey Shows Future of Cloud Computing in Healthcare Organizations
Neuroscientists Discover Roots of Empathy: What Part of the Brain Helps Us Feel for Others?

EVLT varicose vein treatment is usually used on medium to larger varicose veins, especially the small and greater saphenous veins and especially on the veins behind the knees. On the other hand, sclerotherapy is considered a less painful procedure than EVLT so if a doctor is dealing with a patient who has a very low pain threshold, this may be a consideration. If sclerotherapy is performed on a larger vein, the sclerosant chosen will likely be a foamed sclerosant, rather than a liquid sclerosant, to ensure the target varicose vein is fully filled during the procedure. However, even with a foamed sclerosant, it may take more than one sclerotherapy session to fully ablate a larger vein, whereas with EVLT, the doctor can usually ablate a larger vein in one session.

Another situation where sclerotherapy may actually be preferred over EVLT on medium to large veins is when the vein is not straight and or has branches that need to be ablated during the same procedure. It can be difficult to move the laser through crooked vein and or into the branches off a straight vein. However, a foamed sclerosant can fill this space relatively easily. In some cases, a vein doctor may decide to used a combination of both sclerotherapy and EVLT in the same procedure if he or she is dealing with a vein that is straight part of the way and crooked, or branched, in another part.

Another factor may come into play on dark skinned people. EVLT varicose vein treatment does run a higher risk of causing permanent discoloration of the skin on dark skin versus light skin that does sclerotherapy treatment. This is due to the type of laser energy used to ablate the vein. Thus, this higher risk should be disclosed to the patient and this may affect his or her decision about which procedure to get done. If this is the case, the location of the varicose vein to be treated may also be important and whether or not the patient will have this area exposed very often in public.

When selecting a vein clinic, it is important to choose one where the vein doctors are equally skilled at both EVLT and sclerotherapy. This way, you know for sure they are recommending the best type of varicose vein treatment for your particular case, rather than the procedure they happen to be most comfortable with performing. This is the case at Metro Vein Centers, one of the leading vein clinics in the United States. If you would like an honest and free evaluation on which type of varicose vein treatment would be best for your specific case, you can give Metro Vein Centers a call and they’ll get a time set up for you to go see them.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Melanie Lepow
Melanie Lepow is a PR professional and certified health freak with a penchant for the creative. She has an extensive background in finance and technology, starting off at a bank at only 18 years old and moving up in the ranks. Now, she focuses on health and living her best life. She was raised in LA and is true beach girl, chronicling her beach bum travel stories from continent to continent for a number of blogs. She reads and writes on all sorts of topics, she has a real interest in crypto-currency lately! She also really loves healthy living, animals and classical music.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

neck and back pain
OrthopaedicsSpecialties

How To Address Neck and Back Pain

August 26, 2020
Specialties

My Experience Working at a Cancer Clinic

May 14, 2012

Interview with Jarrod Fath of BrainControl, Winner of the 2013 EU eHealth Competition

July 9, 2013
women dental care
Dental healthSpecialties

Ensuring Seamless Dental Care Through All Life Stages

June 20, 2024
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?