A clinical trial designed to discover if the primary treatment of varicose veins should be by Fegan's method or by an operation.

1. The current practice of operating upon patients with varicose veins as the treatment of choice costs more than xi15 million a year. 2. The bulk of this expense is due to the length of time that patients are kept in the ward. If they were treated as outpatients, either by Fegan's method or by operation, the cost would be reduced to one-tenth of what is now spent. Even if the operation were done on a "short-stay" basis the cost would be reduced to one-third or less. 3. Although the long term results of Fegan's method are uncertain there is no doubt that it gives better immediate results than an operation. Moreover, there is no particular type of varicosity of shape of limb which precludes its use.