Varicose Veins
Treatments
Vein Stripping
Vein stripping and ligation is a surgical procedure that involves tying off the varicose veins associated with the main superficial vein in the leg and then using a specialized tool to physically remove the vessel. For nearly a century, this procedure has been the standard surgical technique for treating severe venous reflux disease.
Usually performed in a hospital operating room under general anesthesia, a vein stripping procedure typically begins with an incision in the groin area to expose and ligate, or tie off, the diseased great saphenous vein and surrounding tributary veins. A stripping tool is inserted and threaded through the great saphenous vein, down along the length of the thigh and out through the skin just below the knee. The top of the vein is then tied to the stripping tool, which is pulled from below the knee to remove the vein from the leg.
Since branch veins connected to the greater saphenous vein are broken as it is removed from the thigh, blood frequently leaks into the surrounding tissues. This accounts for much of the post-operative pain, soreness and bruising that most patients experience. Physicians have found that the recovery period following vein stripping surgery may run as long as four weeks before patients can return to normal activities.
A five-year study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery in 1999 found vein stripping 71% effective in eliminating venous reflux. Clinical data has found treatment with the VNUS ClosureFAST™ catheter more than 97.4% effective at the one-year mark.1
Treatment Options
1. Dietzek A, Two-Year Follow-Up Data From A Prospective, Multicenter Study Of The Efficacy Of The ClosureFAST Catheter, 35th Annual Veith Symposium. November 19, 2008. New York.
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