First your physician asks you questions about your general health, medical history, and symptoms. In addition, your physician conducts a physical exam of your legs. Your physician will examine the texture and color of any prominent varicose veins. Based upon the exam findings,  your physician may suspect that you have venous reflux disease. To confirm a diagnosis of venous reflux disease, your physician may order a duplex ultrasound test.

Duplex ultrasound uses painless, high-frequency waves higher than human hearing can detect. The test can take approximately 20 minutes for each leg, and may be done in a lying or a standing position. The ultrasound will be done to see if you have venous reflux disease in your  superficial veins, particularly the GSV, by actually visualizing the backward blood flow in the veins. In addition, you will be checked for the presence of blood clots in your legs. The duplex ultrasound may also help your physician decide whether your varicose veins could be related to some other condition rather than the veins themselves.