Varicose Veins: Have We Reached the Heights

Varicose veins are quite common and affect a large population. In the initial phase they are associated with cosmetic problems but as the diseases progresses, it can affect the quality of life especially when patients develop the venous ulcer which are really hard to heal. Until few decades back, the surgery of Sapheno-femoral or Saphenopopliteal obliteration with or without stripping of the vein was a standard operation. But this operation required general or regional anaesthesia. The complications associated with this procedure were bleeding, hematoma, and ecchymosis. Further there may be injury to sephanous and sural nerve when working in the lower part of leg. The physicians all over the world were looking for minimal invasive treatment for all pathologies so came the era of less invasive treatment for varicose veins. They are associated with less morbidity compared with open surgery. The minimal invasive surgery reduced the post operative pain. Further they could be carried out under local anesthesia so making it a day care surgery. They improved the quality of life and were associated with less complication rates.