Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for varicose and spider veins. Injection sclerotherapy is a procedure wherein your trained MIT radiologist or technician will inject the affected vein with a solution that causes it to close and eventually wither away so that it can be absorbed by the body. Because spider and varicose veins are superficial, blood automatically and harmlessly diverts to surrounding healthy veins. This outpatient procedure is usually permanent and requires little to no recovery time.

Some cases, particularly varicose veins, may require ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy, where image guidance is used to insert a thin tube into the affected vein. This is especially useful in cases where a varicosity is extensive, twisted, or intertwined with other veins. Image guidance ensures that only the targeted vein is treated, leaving the healthy surrounding veins intact.