Do you suffer from Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins that most commonly appear in the legs and feet. Damage in the lower extremities of the body is more common due to standing and walking increases the pressure of those veins. These veins can appear bulging and twisted with a dark purple or blue color. 

Some people want to get rid of varicose veins for just cosmetic reasons, but others decide to seek medical help due to aching pain and discomfort. Painful symptoms include an achy or heavy feeling in the legs, itching around one or more veins, burning, throbbing, swelling, and hardening of the vein.

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Vein Stripping

The traditional technique for surgical stripping is ligation and stripping of the great saphenous vein (GSV), the long vein that extends from the anklebone along the inside of the leg and thigh and empties into the femoral vein in the groin. Ligation and stripping involve tying off the abnormal vein (ligation) and physically removing it (stripping).

Ligation and stripping are performed in a hospital setting or outpatient surgical center under local, spinal, or general anesthesia. The surgeon makes a small incision in the groin to expose the diseased GSV, which is tied off. 

The surgeon then makes a series of incisions along the leg from the thigh to a point just below the knee. Using a specialized stripping tool that is inserted and threaded through the incisions, the surgeon strips out the diseased vein.

A more recent variation on this technique is PIN (Perforate Invaginate) stripping. This technique involves inserting an instrument called a PIN stripper through a small incision in the leg. The stripper is advanced through the vein, its tip is sewn to the end of the vein, and the vein is pulled in on itself as it is stripped out of the leg.
 
PIN stripping is performed in a hospital operating room or outpatient surgical center under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with IV sedation.
During stripping, branch veins attached to the GSV are broken, causing blood to leak into surrounding tissues. This causes postoperative pain, soreness, and bruising experienced by ligation and stripping patients. Other potential complications include numbness from damage to surrounding nerves, chronic leg swelling from damaged lymphatic tissue, incision scars, and allergic reaction to anesthesia. 

Although the patient is usually able to return home the same day, recovery from vein-stripping surgery typically takes up to four weeks, with patients sidelined for several days in the beginning.
Vein Stripping
Surgical vein stripping is far more invasive than the VenaCure EVLT™ procedure. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery in 1999 revealed that vein-stripping surgery was 71% effective in eliminating varicose veins, compared to a success rate of up to 98% for the VenaCure EVLT™ procedure. Endovenous laser vein therapy also causes less bruising and numbness and leaves minimal to no scars as compared to surgical ligation and vein stripping.

What is Vein Stripping?

Vein stripping is the surgical method of treating varicose veins to not only improve the skin’s appearance but also reduce the pain and health risks associated with large varicose veins.

How does Vein Stripping work?

During the vein stripping procedure, the surgeon makes small incisions near the top and bottom of the damaged vein.

A thin, flexible plastic wire is then inserted into the vein through the top incision, tied to the vein, and pulled out through the bottom incision. After pulling out the varicose veins, the surgeon will close the incisions with stitches.

How long does the Procedure take?

On average, the vein stripping procedure takes about 60-90 minutes.

How long is the Recovery?

Recovery times depend on how many veins were removed and on what parts of the body. However, it usually takes about 2-4 weeks to recover from the vein stripping procedure.

Vein Stripping

Are there any Risks Associated with the Vein Stripping Procedure?

Risks may include:

  • Bruising.
  • Scarring.
  • Nerve Injury.
  • Blood Clots.
  • Heavy Bleeding.
  • Allergic Reactions to Anesthesia. 

How much does the Procedure cost?

This is a self-pay, all-inclusive price. Price will vary based on insurance and health status, use of additional resources, and so on. We offer flexible financing options for qualified customers.

CPT Code: 37718