Why is anyone still having vein stripping?

A 40 year old lady came to The Whiteley Clinic this week with recurrent varicose veins. She had been to a "vein expert" elsewhere, who had recommended vein stripping under a General Anaesthetic in 2003.

Patient had stripping of right Great Saphenous Vein 3 times
since 2003 by a "vein expert" in London

She had her vein stripped in 2003. Not surprisingly this vein came back again as they usually do after vein stripping.

Unfortunately she has gone back to the same "vein expert" twice since - and had further vein stripping under general anaesthetic twice since!!!

When examined at The Whiteley Clinic, she was found to had strip tract re-vascularisation - re-growth of the vein due to the stripping process.


Duplex ultrasound report showing that Great Saphenous Veins
has grown back - Strip Tract Revascularisation 

This sort of problem is found regularly after vein stripping procedures.

Since we brought endovenous surgery into the UK in 1999, we have not seen a single case of revascularisation in any of our patients following endovenous techniques.

This patient will be treated by 2 sessions of endovenous surgery to her leg, both under local anaesthetic. She will be able to walk home afterwards - true walk-in walk-out surgery.

If she had had this in the first place, it is unlikely she would have need the subsequent 2 operations that she had, nor what we need to do now.

For more information, see http://www.veinstripping.co.uk/