Vein ligation and/or stripping is a minor surgery that is commonly peformed on large varicose veins. The procedure can also be done to prevent venous skin ulcers from reoccuring after treatment.

This procedure is performed to avoid complications of vein damage. Vein stripping is the only choice for eliminating 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.

Varicose Vein Litigation/Stripping may be recommended when a varicose vein bleeds; open sores develop due to varicose veins or poor blood circulation in a vein; your legs ache, swell, or feel heavy, especially after prolonged standing; or the vein is damaged in the section where it joins the superficial and deep veins in the knee or groin. This procedure may also be ideal if you want to get rid of varicose veins for cosmetic reasons and do not have any other health problems that might make the surgery more risky.

It is possible that the condition of varicose veins may aggravate without treatment. Your physician will first attempt methods that do not necessitate surgery to alleviate your symptoms. If you have mild to moderate varicose veins, elevating your legs can help minimize leg swelling and ease other symptoms. Your physician may advise you to prop your feet up above the level of your heart 3 or 4 times a day for about 15 minutes at a time. When you need to stand for a long period of time, you can flex your legs occasionally to allow the venous pump to keep blood moving toward your heart.

Surgical vein stripping is carried out in the hospital while the patient is under general anesthesia. Incisions are made at the bottom (ankle end) and the top (groin end) of the varicose vein. A thin, wire-like instrument is inserted into the vein that clears the vein from the inside. Small incisions can also be made over individual veins to remove them.

Surgical stripping normally requires an overnight hospital stay and several days of recovery. After treatment, your legs are wrapped tightly in bandages. Walking is feasible the day of surgery. In fact, walking is advised to reduce swelling and circumvent the risk of deep venous thrombosis. It is vital that feet are kept raised above the heart whenever possible.

This procedure includes some risks, such as recurrence of varicose veins and scarring. Furthermore, if the deep vein system is damaged, surgery may make complications with blood flow in the veins worse. Varicose vein surgery has similar risks associated with general surgery including infection, bleeding, and anesthesia risks. If the largest vein in the leg (great saphenous vein, or GSV) is stripped below the knee, numbness may result due to nerve injury.

Varicose veins generally appear in the legs. Normally, valves in your veins keep blood flowing but the valves in varicose veins are either damaged or missing. This causes the veins to remain filled with blood, especially when you are standing.

If you have varicose veins, your legs may feel heavy, tired, restless or achy. Standing or sitting for too long may aggravate your symptoms. You may also experience night cramps. You may notice small clusters of veins in a winding pattern on your leg, or soft, slightly tender knots of veins. Sometimes, the skin on your legs may change color, become irritated or even form sores.

High blood pressure inside your superficial leg veins causes varicose veins. Factors that can increase your risk for varicose veins include having a family history of varicose veins, being overweight, not exercising enough, smoking, standing or sitting for long periods of time or having DVT. Women are more likely than men to develop varicose veins. Varicose veins usually affect people between the ages of 30 and 70. Pregnant women have an increased risk of developing varicose veins, but the veins often return to normal within 1 year after childbirth. Women who have multiple pregnancies may develop permanent varicose veins.

Varicose veins can be treated by removal (vein stripping) or by injection with a substance that causes the veins to scar closed (sclerotherapy).

Occasionally, the procedure can damage superficial nerves along the stripped vein, causing a patchy area of numbness in the leg. The nerves usually recover, however, and sensation returns. In some instances, it can result in complications such as infection, which will require antibiotic treatment, and bleeding, which can be treated by firm pressure.