What is vein stripping?
Vein stripping is surgical removal of a saphenous vein. The saphenous vein runs from the inside of the ankle to the groin and is one to several inches below the skin. To remove it, a surgeon passes a cable up the vein from the ankle or knee, secures the cable to the vein through an incision in the groin, and ” strips” the vein by pulling the vein and cable from the leg. The operation is usually performed in a hospital OR under general or spinal anesthesia. In the past ten years, office procedures such as VNUS Closure™ have replace vein stripping as the treatment of choice for varicose veins.
If the source of the reverse blood flow is due to damaged valves in the saphenous vein, the vein may be removed by a surgical procedure known as vein stripping. Under general anesthesia, all or part of the vein is tied off and pulled out. The legs are bandaged after the surgery but swelling and bruising may last for weeks.
