Peripheral Vein stripping

Vein stripping is a surgical procedure used to remove very large varicose veins. When veins are surgically removed, the remaining veins in the body then compensate to hold larger volumes of blood.

Vein stripping surgery may be used to:

eliminate varicose veins for cosmetic reasons;
alleviate long-standing leg swelling and pain;
treat open sores or ulcers in your extremities and;
stop the bleeding of a varicose vein.

The surgery may be done in the hospital or outpatient setting by a vascular surgeon. Approximately 150,000 vein stripping surgeries are performed each year in the U.S.

Modern alternatives to vein stripping include endovenous laser treatment, radiofrequency occlusion, and ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy.

Before the procedure

Stop taking aspirin and ibuprofen
Do not eat or drink anything twelve hours before your surgery
Take any medications with small sips of water; check with your doctor before taking insulin, diabetes pills, blood pressure medicine, heart pills, or any other medication on the day of surgery.
Do not wear contact lenses to the hospital.
Arrange to have someone take you home after your surgery

During the procedure

You will be given an oral medication to help calm your nerves as well as local anesthesia medication to numb the area of skin around the affected vein.
Your surgeon will make small incisions in your upper thigh and near your ankle.
An instrument called a stripper is inserted through the incision.
The vein is pulled out and the incisions are closed.
The length of surgery lasts about one hour.

After the procedure

Unless complications arise you will be able to go home the same day of the surgery.
After your surgery your legs are wrapped tightly in bandages.
When you get home, keep your feet raised above your heart as much as possible.
Begin walking the next day if possible as this will keep the swelling down and lesson the risk of problems in veins deeper in the leg.
Resume all normal activities within several weeks.

Peripheral Vein stripping

Before the procedure

During the procedure

After the procedure

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