Sclerotherapy

After your procedure

Sclerotherapy is a procedure to treat some types of blood vessels or parts of your lymph system that aren’t formed in the usual way. They may be crooked, twisted, or just abnormal. These abnormal clusters of vessels or lymph structures usually start to develop before you were born.

With sclerotherapy, a solution called a sclerosing agent or sclerosant is injected into the abnormal area guided by imaging, like ultrasound or fluoroscopy. This type of imaging gives your healthcare provider a constant view of the area being treated during the procedure.

After your procedure

You may need to wear compression stockings or have a tight bandage or dressing over the procedure site. Your healthcare provider will talk to you about how long you need to have pressure on the site.

If you have no problems after the procedure, you can go home and rest for the day, but do not drive yourself. Arrange to have someone else take you home. Don't drive 24 hours after the sclerotherapy and don't drive while you are taking strong pain medicine. If you live in a different town or city from where you had the procedure, it’s a good idea to stay somewhere overnight that is within 1 hour of an emergency care hospital.

Local freezing medicine may have been used to numb the skin and tissue around the procedure site. This freezing will gradually wear off, and you may feel some discomfort.

If you had medicine that put you to sleep (a general anesthetic) during your procedure, follow the post anesthesia discharge instructions that you got from your healthcare team carefully.

Caring for the procedure site

• You may have a bandage (dressing) covering the procedure site when you leave the hospital or clinic. Leave the bandage on for 3 days after your procedure, then it may be removed. It’s important to keep the site clean and dry.
• Monitor the area under your compression garment (stocking or sleeve) or bandages. Loosen the garment or bandages if you have signs of decreased circulation, like loss of feeling (numbness), skin that is cool to touch, or if the colour is slow to return to the area when you press it (it takes more than 3 or 4 seconds for the color to return). Follow your healthcare provider's instructions for how long to wear compression garments or bandages after your procedure.
• You may shower 3 days after your procedure, unless you’ve been given other instructions. Pat the procedure site dry instead of rubbing it. If you’re wearing compression garments or bandages, you may remove them to shower. Remember to put them back on after your shower.
• Don’t soak the procedure site in a bath, hot tub, or swimming pool until it's completely healed (no longer has a scab).
• Avoid using creams, lotions, and ointments on the procedure site until it’s completely healed (no longer has a scab).
• Elevate the treated area as much as possible to help lessen swelling for the first few days. Some people have more swelling than others. The swelling is expected and will go away over the next 2 to 4 weeks.
• Depending on the type of sclerosing agent that was injected, you may need to avoid any activity that may cause skin cuts or scrapes (like shaving) or that could cause an injury (like contact sports). You may also need to be careful with any body fluids for 48 hours. Learn more about handling body fluids and waste if you were told you received a known hazard medicine.
• Avoid going out into the sunlight and avoid hot showers or hot tubs. These may cause skin staining, which may last for several months. Talk to your healthcare provider about when you can go back to these activities.
• If you develop blisters, follow blister care instructions.

Recovering at home

Each person recovers at a different pace after sclerotherapy. Follow the advice below to feel better as quickly as possible.

Managing your pain

Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. If your healthcare provider gave you a prescription for pain medicine, take it as prescribed.

You may have discomfort or pain at the procedure site. This pain or discomfort usually becomes less after 1 to 3 days. Some people have pain for longer. You can use pain medicine like acetaminophen (Tylenol) as needed to help control your pain.

Don’t take any medicine that has ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) in it for 2 to 3 days after your procedure. The sclerosing agent causes inflammation, and ibuprofen will lower this intended inflammation. If you can’t take acetaminophen (Tylenol), talk to your doctor about other pain medicine options.

Medicines

Follow your healthcare provider's instructions for when you can start taking your usual medicines again, including blood thinners.

Activity

The location and size of the area treated may limit the activity that you can do. If there are limits to how much or what kind of activity you should do, you’ll get instructions from your healthcare provider before you go home.

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids. This will help keep you hydrated and help flush any medicines from the procedure out of your system. If you have liver, heart, or kidney disease and need to limit fluids, talk with your healthcare provider before you start drinking more.

You can return to your normal diet as soon as you leave the hospital or clinic. If you have an upset stomach, try bland, low-fat foods such as toast, plain rice, and yogurt.

Returning to work and school

Your healthcare provider will talk to you about when you can return to work or school. If your job requires heavy lifting, machinery, or strenuous activity, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about this and when you should return to work.

When to call for help

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if you have:

• severe trouble breathing
• sudden chest pain or shortness of breath
• a large amount of bleeding from the procedure site that doesn’t stop with pressure

Call your healthcare provider, Health Link at 811, or seek medical care right away if you have:

• severe discomfort or pain that doesn’t go away with pain medicine
• bruising or swelling that is larger or opens the incision or site where the sclerosing agent was injected
• signs of infection:
  • redness that doesn't go away or warmth at or around the procedure site, including red streaks from the site
  • pus draining from the procedure site
  • fever over 38ºC (100.4 ºF) or chills
• change in colour or temperature of the arm or leg on the side of the body where the sclerotherapy was done (for example, your foot turns a pale blue or white or is cool to the touch)
• any bleeding from the procedure site that doesn’t stop with pressure
• signs of a blood clot, such as:
  • pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin
  • redness and swelling in your leg or groin

Watch closely for any changes in your health and be sure to contact your healthcare provider or Health Link at 811 if you have any problems.

To see this information online and learn more, visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=custom.ab_diagnosticimaging_sclerotherapy_ac.

For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information call Health Link at 811.

Current as of: November 19, 2024

Author: Diagnostic Imaging, Alberta Health Services

This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.