Recurrence of Varicose Veins After the Stripping Operation

Incomplete surgical removal of varicose veins remains the primary reason for recurrence after the stripping operation, as observed and documented in a study of 82 surgical patients at the Mayo Clinic during a recent two-year period. Residual varicose tributaries in the thigh, leg, and foot constituted a striking finding in the typical pattern of recurrence after stripping. Inadequate groin dissection with failure to ligate satisfactorily the juncture of the saphenous vein on the femoral was another common finding. Persistence of perforating veins was a third frequent finding.