Endovenous therapy

Procedures used successfully in contemporary non-surgical treatment of varicose veins, including large varicose veins. Using radiofrequency or laser energy, diseased veins are burned and closed off by heat. These methods are therefore referred to as thermal procedures. They do not require a general anaesthesia, but are usually carried out with tumescent anaesthesia (a special type of local anaesthesia). Another endovenous procedure is sclerotherapy, when a liquid or foamed sclerosant is injected into the diseased vein and the vein is permanently closed. Sclerotherapy can be carried out without any anaesthesia at all.