Skin care
It is normal for your child to have swelling and bruising of the treated area after sclerotherapy. Swelling usually reduces after one to two weeks and bruising may take several weeks to disappear. Some skin staining can last for months. Your child may also develop blistering.
If your child develops a skin blister:
- Wash your child's skin with unscented soap and water.
- Apply Vaseline to your child's skin three times a day for a maximum of seven days.
- Cover it with a clean bandage that will not stick to the skin.
- Inform the Image Guided Therapy (IGT) clinic nurse that your child developed a blister.
If the blister has not healed after seven days, apply Vaseline to the skin and call the IGT clinic nurse.
Pressure garment
If your child has been prescribed a pressure garment, they should resume wearing it five to 10 days after sclerotherapy.
Bathing
Your child may have a bath or shower the day after the procedure. Use unscented soap to clean the treated area.
Meals
If your child is feeling well enough after the anaesthetic, they can return to eating what they normally eat. It is also important to encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids for 48 hours after the procedure.
Pain relief
Your child may feel local pain or discomfort after sclerotherapy, which may last one or two days. If needed, give your child
acetaminophen or
ibuprofen for pain.
Activity
Your child can return to school and most activities the day after the procedure, but this will depend on how they feel. Check with your child's doctor about certain activities such as contact sports.
Radiation
- Your child's procedure required the use of X-rays.
- Radiation side-effects are extremely unlikely but can occur.
- Please check the treated area of your child's skin for signs of redness or rash two to four weeks from the date of the procedure. Please speak to the IGT clinic nurse if these signs occur.
