Varicose veins are abnormally large superficial veins in the legs that can be surgically removed, although it requires a general anesthetic and a three week recovery time.

However, there's now a much less invasive treatment involving ultrasound-guided injections.

Dr. Martin Braun of the Vancouver Laser and Skin Care Centre says the direction of blood flow in the veins of the legs should always be upwards towards the heart.

However, the blood can flow downward away from the heart if the balves aren't working, and that can cause the blood to pool in the legs and so dilate the veins themselves, making them larger.

With ultrasound, however, doctors can no map out the veins and see where the valves are failing and causing the blood to flow in the wrong direction.

Once the problem area is identified, it's possible to inject the appropriate drugs into the vein which causes it to shut down and die. The blood is then redirected by the body to healthier deeper veins.

The recovery time is only about two days.