1.   For most people, the problem starts with the saphenous vein, a large blood vessel that runs from the ankle to the groin.

2.   However, they often remove a portion of the saphenous vein in the leg for such repairs because it is durable and expendable.

3.   In rare cases, damaged parts of the main saphenous vein itself are tied off, though not cut, and the vein is gradually absorbed by the body.

4.   Increasingly, though, doctors avoid vein stripping, in part to save the saphenous vein in case patients need it later for a heart bypass.

5.   Instead of a laser, though, that technique employs radio frequencies to heat a specialized catheter tip and seal the saphenous vein shut.

6.   Smaller veins carrying blood from the feet and lower legs dump into the saphenous vein, which carries blood to deep veins and ultimately back to the heart.

7.   The major leg vein, called the saphenous vein, has a series of valves that open and close to keep blood flowing toward the heart.

8.   The kinks in the saphenous veins in her le STORY IN gs caused blood to pool at her ankles, causing skin breakdown and producing a painful ulcer.

9.   The saphenous vein is often removed and used in coronary by-pass operations.