Help for varicose veins

The surgeon will first perform an ultrasound scan to see what's going on inside the leg. A catheter is then inserted into the troublesome vein, which heats the vein wall, destroying the vein and leaving an internal scar that gets slowly reabsorbed by the body. Whiteley argues that 'recovery is less painful and speedier than standard surgery.' However, critics say it's an unproven technique, and this treatment is not available on the NHS. For more details, see Whiteley's website at www.veins.co.uk or check out www.vnus.com.

For general information on varicose veins, have a look at www.jscurr.com.