What Is Embolisation and Sclerotherapy?
Embolisation blocks abnormal vessels from inside using catheters and specialised materials, while sclerotherapy injects a medicine that irritates and closes selected abnormal vascular spaces. These techniques are used for particular vascular malformations, pelvic venous disorders and other vascular problems. Treatment is planned from imaging and flow classification because a fast-flow arteriovenous malformation is managed differently from a slow-flow venous malformation.
Who May Be Considered?
- Pain, bleeding, swelling, ulceration or functional limitation
- A lesion with imaging-defined vessels that can be targeted
- Pelvic venous reflux or obstruction with matching symptoms
- A staged treatment goal agreed by the multidisciplinary team
Assessment and Tests
- Clinical examination and symptom correlation
- Doppler to assess vessel type and flow
- MRI, CT venography or angiography according to the lesion
- Review of skin, nerve, muscle, bone and organ involvement
How Treatment May Be Performed
Use image guidance to enter the target vessel or malformation
Deliver an embolic or sclerosant chosen for the vessel pattern
Protect normal circulation and nearby tissue
Stage treatment when complete treatment in one sitting would increase risk
How to Prepare
Report pregnancy possibility, kidney disease, allergies, blood thinners and prior treatment materials. Bring original MRI, CT and angiography images. Fasting, admission, anaesthesia and medicine instructions vary substantially with the lesion.
Comfort and Anaesthesia Planning
Small treatments may use local anaesthesia and sedation, while painful, extensive or high-flow procedures may require general anaesthesia. The expected tissue reaction and procedure length guide the plan.
What to Expect During Recovery
Pain, swelling and bruising can occur as treated vessels react. Observation and return to activity depend on site and extent. Several staged sessions may be required, and symptom improvement can take time as swelling settles.
Risks and Limitations
Risks include skin or tissue injury, ulceration, nerve damage, bleeding, clot migration, infection, allergic or contrast reaction, non-target embolisation and recurrence. Fast-flow malformations can have major haemodynamic and bleeding risks.
Alternatives to Consider
Observation, compression, pain management, surgery or combined treatment may be suitable. Some malformations are safer to monitor than to treat. A scan abnormality alone is not enough reason for embolisation when symptoms do not correlate.
Follow-Up After Treatment
Clinical review and repeat imaging evaluate response and plan any next stage. Treatment usually aims to control symptoms and complications rather than promise permanent eradication of every abnormal channel.
