Varicose veins are dilated tortuous superficial veins occurring usually in the lower limb. They are common and run in families and tend to affect women more than men. Varicose veins are causes by the development of faulty valves in the veins of the leg.

In health there are two vein systems in the lower limb:
	deep
	superficial

Conventional treatment of varicose veins involved surgical removal of the defective veins under general anaesthetic. Significant post-op pain and bruising were commonly seen and for this reason we do not use this technique.

Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting blood vessels and means literally "hardening of the arteries". Large and medium sized arteries are most commonly affected. The inside wall of the artery becomes furred up with deposits of cholesterol and calcium causing the blood vessel to become narrowed or blocked.

	Restriction of blood flow
	Embolisation (a blood clot forms, breaks off and lodges downstream)
	Thrombosis (the artery clots and blocks)

Thread veins are purple coloured prominent veins in the skin seen most commonly in the legs. They are harmless but are sometimes uncomfortable and may be very unsightly. They can be very easily treated by sclerotherapy (injection). This is done under bright light and low magnification using tiny needles which are barely felt.

The popliteal artery is behind the knee joint and carries blood from the upper to lower part of the leg. A popliteal aneurysm is an abnormal bulging of the popliteal artery.The risk factors are the same as for other arterial aneurysms, namely family history, smoking, blood pressure etc.Popliteal aneurysms are different, in that the main problem is not rupture, but rather blockage of the aneurysms causing severe shortage of blood supply to the lower leg and foot. If left too late the problem may be difficult to salvage and there is a high risk of amputations. For this reason popliteal aneurysms should be treated.