Barrie Price wins debate about perforator veins

Mr Barrie Price MS MD FRCS FCPhleb
Consultant Vein Surgeon and Fellow of The College of Phlebology
(www.collegeofphlebology.com)

On Tuesday this week, Mr Barrie Price of The Whiteley Cinic, won his debate at a major international medical conference.

The Charing Cross symposium is the biggest vascular conference in the UK - and one of the major Vascular events each year in the world.

The debate was between Professor Charles McCollum and Barrie Price. Professor McCollum was arguing for the popular assertion that below knee perforating veins do not need to be treated, and treating them is pointless.

Barrie Price spoke engagingly and brilliantly explaining his own experience, The Whiteley Clinic research and also the mechanism of action of perforators as outlined in The College of Phlebology book "Understanding Venous Reflux - The Cause of Varicose Veins and Venous Leg Ulcers".

The debate became quite heated as it became clear that Barrie Price's assertion that these perforating veins are very important in varicose veins, venous eczema and the formation of venous eczema - and that the treatment of these perforating veins is actually essential. Indeed the failure of most venous surgeons to do so is one of the major reasons that varicose veins keep coming back again and that patients with venous leg ulcers spend years in bandages rather than being cured by surgery.

When the audience was asked to vote, it came a a huge surprise to traditional vascular surgeons (who generally do not treat perforators) that 2/3rds of the audience voted for Barrie Price and his arguments.

This year, both Barrie Price and Mark Whiteley were invited to speak and write chapters in the Charing Cross book (see previous blog post). In addition, Judy Holdstock and Charmain Harrison from The Whiteley Clinic were asked to teach on The Office Based Vein Course at the same meeting.