Varicose veins: diagnosis and management

Assessment at the vascular service

The specialist vascular service team should use a duplex ultrasound scan to diagnose your varicose veins. This is a type of scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce a picture of the veins in your legs. The picture shows the blood flow and helps the vascular service team locate any damaged valves that might be causing your varicose veins.

The treatments that are available should be explained to you. The vascular service team should discuss with you how well each treatment is likely to work and the possible side effects. They should tell you that you may need more than 1 session of treatment and that new varicose veins may develop after you have had treatment, especially if you have had treatment for varicose veins before.