Long Saphenous Vein Stripping in the Treatment of Varicose Veins: Self- and Surgeon-Assessed Results after 10 Years

Objective: To establish the 10-year results of long saphenous vein stripping in the treatment of varicose veins. Design: Single patient group study of patients who received surgical treatment for varicose veins 10 years earlier. Setting: Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Tampere, Finland. Patients: All men and a randomly picked sample of women were invited to attend for a follow-up examination; 81% (52 men, 74 women) participated. Intervention: Long saphenous vein stripping in all Patients. Main outcome measures: The presence of visible varicose veins as graded in four categories by clinical examination. Results: Seventy per cent of the operated legs in women free of varicosities or showed only minor varicose veins compared with 51% in men; 28% of the patients required further treatment (mostly sclerotherapy) for varicose veins. Conclusions: Long saphenous vein stripping combined with additional procedures results in a relatively low rate of severe recurrent varicose veins in 10 years.