Greater Saphenous Vein Excision

What Are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are blood vessels just beneath the skin that have widened and twisted due to a defect in the valves within the veins themselves. Blood pools in sections of the vein, causing the vein to bulge and swell.

Vein Stripping

Varicose veins can be removed by an operation known as vein stripping. Vein stripping is the only option for removing the saphenous veins (the largest surface veins in the legs) that serve as the major channels for blood among the superficial veins in the leg.

A person undergoing this procedure may receive either general anesthesia (to be asleep for the procedure) or an epidural (a local anesthetic injection into the back that numbs the lower half of the body).

• The surgeon makes two small incisions-one in the groin and the other near the ankle.
• The surgeon then ligates (ties off) the saphenous vein and its branches at the groin incision.
• The surgeon then passes a flexible wire through the vein from the ankle incision. A number of small incisions in the skin are sometimes needed along the vein to guide the wire along the length of the entire vein.
• When the wire reaches the groin incision, the surgeon pulls the wire out, bringing the entire vein with it ("strips the vein out").

Recovery

Many patients are able to leave the hospital on the same day as the surgery--or at the most, the day following surgery.

It usually takes two to six weeks to recover from the operation. During that time, your physician may ask you to:

• Keep the leg or legs bandaged for several weeks following surgery.
• Take several short walks, starting with five minutes each time, and slowly increasing the time and distance covered each day.
• Lie down frequently and keep your leg elevated above your heart.

The bandages and any stitches used will be removed by the end of the first week, during a follow-up visit to the surgeon's office.

Most people are able to return to work within one to two weeks of the operation.