Interventional radiologists can use ultrasound guidance and radio-frequency ablation to treat varicose veins, researchers at the Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology annual meeting said.

Performed under local anesthetic, a catheter is guided via ultrasound to the saphenous vein to allow RF ablation to heat the inner wall of the vein and shrink it, closing off the leaky valves. Nearby veins take over circulation of blood in the legs. The technique received FDA approval last year and is already being offered at 25 centers throughout the U.S. (Search for marzano.)