Pediatric sclerotherapy treatment
What is pediatric sclerotherapy treatment?
Sclerotherapy is the injection of agents through the skin into the abnormal veins or cysts in order to deliver high local concentrations of medication designed to cause the veins or cysts to shrink. These agents include doxycycline, an antibiotic, foam (STS), and absolute alcohol. Lasers can also be used to ablate veins.
What can I expect with pediatric sclerotherapy treatment?
These procedures are done by an interventional radiologist using ultrasound and fluoroscopy to localize the veins and cysts to deliver the sclerosing agents or medications. Sclerotherapy procedures should be performed by Interventional Radiologists that have extensive experience and expertise with treatment of vascular malformations in the pediatric population as they present with much more complex vascular lesions and have different needs and implications than adults.
What can I expect before pediatric sclerotherapy treatment?
Prior to sclerotherapy, your child should have a high-quality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that will be used to guide therapy and avoid injury to normal arteries, nerves, muscle, and veins near the malformation. You and your child will meet with the interventional radiologist in our IR clinic prior to the procedure being scheduled to discuss the benefits and risks of the sclerotherapy and review the MR findings.
What can I expect during pediatric sclerotherapy treatment?
Sclerotherapy is performed under anesthesia. The procedure is done as an outpatient; children typically go home the same day after the procedure. If an extremity is treated, your child will have an ACE wrap or compression bandage on for about two weeks that can be removed to bathe. We will want to follow up with your child around two weeks after the sclerotherapy.
What can I expect after pediatric sclerotherapy treatment?
The treated area is usually swollen for one to two weeks, with the most swelling being observed one week after the treatment. We may limit your child’s physical activities for two weeks after the procedure. Large venous or lymphatic malformations usually require more than one sclerotherapy repeated at four-to-six week intervals.