Is losing the vein and vein’s function a problem?
No. These veins are part of the superficial venous system, which is comprised of a number of veins. When a vein’s valves become damaged or diseased, it inhibits the proper blood flow out of the leg. In turn, the vein is no longer useful and cannot be repaired. When the diseased vein is ablated (closed) or removed, the blood is rerouted to healthy veins, restoring the proper blood flow. Damaged veins are no longer candidates for vein harvesting used in other procedures, i.e., open-heart surgery. However, as previously stated, our superficial venous system is comprised of a number of veins. For this reason, there are other healthy veins that can be used for vein harvesting used in other procedures.
