Stripping surgery for varicose veins was first described in 1850 (when Florence Nightingale was nursing). It involves an incision in the groin and stripping the large vein of the leg which is "ripped" out at knee level inside-out like a sock coming off.
The risk of the veins growing back after 5 years is 80%. Even after 1 year almost 1 in 4 patients get re-growth of their veins.

There is nearly always bruising, which can be lumpy, painful and can last up to six weeks.
All stripping operations are performed under major anaesthetic, and therefore cannot always be performed on people for whom surgery poses a risk due to age or other medical conditions.

Small nerves that lie next to the varicose veins can be injured during the surgery, causing numbness in the leg after the surgery in about 1 in 5 patients, although this often fades in time.

You may need up to three weeks or longer to recover after a stripping operation.

Here are the reasons to visit us at The Vein Clinic:

We use the latest technology (including all of the minimal invasive techniques) together with a fully medically qualified team to work with each patient to determine the best treatment with the best outcome.

All of varicose vein procedures are performed under local anaesthetic enabling the majotity of our patients to return to normal activities of daily living immediately!