Sclerosant Injection.

Sclerosant is a medication typically used for the treatment of varicose veins. More recently, it has also been used in the treatment of tendon problems (tendinosis), as well as surrounding tendon inflammation, known as tenosynovitis.
Though not well understood, in an attempt to heal the body of the tendinosis, new blood vessels and nerves grow into a diseased tendon, producing pain. Targeting these new blood vessels with sclerosant often results in relief of symptoms.

Fact Sheets | Interventional Radiology 

Sclerosant Injection.

Introduction

Sclerosant injections are routinely used as a second line method of treating tendon pain at Melbourne Radiology Clinic.

As for an autologous blood or platelet rich plasma injection, sclerosant Injection may be used to treat any painful tendon and is performed under ultrasound guidance to accurately and safely deliver the medication in the area of abnormality. Patients will require a test to confirm that the tendon is the source of their pain, usually with either an MRI and/or ultrasound scan.

Ultrasound follow up of patients following a sclerosant injection into a tendon usually demonstrates an improved appearance of the tendon as well as decreased blood flow. This correlates well with improvement of the patient’s symptoms.

Preparation

01There is no specific preparation required.
02Bring along a support person / driver

We also strongly recommend that you bring a responsible person to drive you home afterwards.

NOTE:

Please discuss any medical illnesses with your doctor before booking the recommended procedure.

RISKS

Risks of sclerosant injections are rare and include:
-Infection

most of these are minor (<1%), however can be serious (<0.1%) requiring hospital admission, intravenous antibiotics and surgery.

-Bleeding:

this is fortunately also rare and slightly common in patients with bleeding disorders and on “blood thinning” medication.

-Nerve damage:

from direct needle trauma, or as a consequence of the above mentioned complications.

Following your procedure & recovery

Post Procedure Care.

This information is for patients who have undergone a Sclerosant injection at Melbourne Radiology Clinic.

Following this procedure, please be advised of the following recommendations:

01REST for ONE WEEK

Refrain from any significant activity involving the body part for ONE WEEK.
Necessary activities of daily living are permissible, but do not engage in any deliberate exercise, such as running, weight training or other sporting pursuits.

02Management of discomfort or pain post procedure

Some discomfort may occur following the procedure. If this occurs, paracetamol and a cool compress may help. If the pain is severe, anti-inflammatory medications are particularly helpful. This pain flare is usually most prominent in the first three days following the procedure and slowly decreases thereafter. If you are concerned, please call our clinic on 9667 1667 to discuss your specific situation, or alternatively contact your referring doctor.

03Commence a 3 week graded rehabilitation program 1 week post injection

After the first week, you are advised to commence a three week program of rehabilitation under the supervision of an allied health practitioner (such as a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath), concentrating on stretching and eccentric exercises. You may already have an allied health practitioner physiotherapist that has assisted you in the past. If not, we can recommend one to you. The intensity of the rehabilitation program is gradually increased over the three weeks, being very gradual at the start and depends on your progress and pain. This is at the discretion of your physiotherapist.

04Four weeks following the injection

At this point, it will be four weeks following the injection (1 week rest followed by three weeks of a graduated exercise program).

  • If you have no more pain, then no further action is required.
  • If your pain has decreased but pain remains, then a second injection is recommended.
  • If you have had NO benefit, a repeat injection is recommended. There are many patients that only respond after a second injection.
  • If a second injection is performed, then the rehabilitation program as for the first injection is repeated. If you have had relief at this point but pain persists, then a further injection may be performed. If you have had no benefit after this, then you are unlikely to respond to a repeat injection. A different type of injection however may provide you benefit, such as an autologous bloodor platelet rich plasma injection. The doctor at Melbourne Radiology Clinic is available to discuss other radiologically guided procedures to treat your condition should you wish to pursue further treatment.

Results &
Follow-Up

Your Images and Report

One of Melbourne Radiology Clinic’s specialist radiologists, a medical doctor specialising in the interpretation of medical images for the purposes of providing a diagnosis, will then review the images and provide a formal written report. If medically urgent, or you have an appointment immediately after the scan to be seen by your doctor or health care provider, Melbourne Radiology Clinic will have your results ready without delay. Otherwise, the report will be received by your doctor or health care provider within the next 24 hours.

Follow-up Appointment

Please ensure that you make a follow up appointment with your referring doctor or health care provider to discuss your results.

Your referring doctor or health care provider is the most appropriate person to explain to you the results of the scans and for this reason, we do not release the results directly to you.

Reminders

Previous Scans & Reports

Please bring to the clinic any prior scans (eg. X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI, CT) and reports as these will assist our radiologist in assessing your condition.

Any Referral Request Accepted

Please note that any referral for a scan is valid at Melbourne Radiology Clinic, even if it has been written or printed on a referral form or stationery supplied by another radiology provider.

If you have any further queries about your appointment please call Melbourne Radiology Clinic on (03) 9667 1667  – we are always only too happy to help.

Appointment Time

Whilst every effort is made to keep your appointment time, the special needs of complex cases, elderly and frail patients can cause unexpected delays. Your consideration and patience in these circumstances is appreciated.