Varicose vein surgery (stripping and phlebectomy)

Varicose veins are dilated, twisted superficial leg veins whose valves no longer work properly: blood pools instead of flowing back up to the heart. They cause heavy legs, swelling, cramps and, over time, skin changes or even ulcers. Conventional surgery often combines two procedures. Stripping removes the faulty saphenous vein, through a small incision in the groin or behind the knee, using a guide wire passed along the vein. Phlebectomies remove the varicose branches through tiny incisions a few millimetres long, which often need no stitches. Treatment is offered when varicose veins are troublesome or complicated, after a duplex ultrasound has shown exactly which veins are affected. Depending on the case, the surgeon may instead suggest an endovenous technique (laser or radiofrequency) that closes the vein without removing it. The healthy deep veins then carry the blood back. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, varicose vein surgery is performed in the operating theatre, most often as day surgery or with one night in hospital, with compression stockings and a quick return to walking.