KUMJ | VOL. 2 | NO. 2 | ISSUE 6 | APRIL-JUNE, 2004

Stripping without a Stripper
Singh DR, Shretha SK


Abstract:
Varicose veins afflict some 10 to 20%of the population in the west. It is believed to be less prevalent in the
developing nations1, 2. Though there are absolute indications of surgery for varicose veins, people in Nepal come for treatment of the varicose veins either to join the army or to work abroad.
Not all hospitals in Nepal are equipped with a vein stripper. In KMCTH, we studied 29 patients who had their long Saphenous veins stripped either with a stripper or by tunnelling around the Saphenous vein.
We found that the long Saphenous vein could be stripped via the tunnelling method with an additional incisionabove the knee joint which is cosmetically accepted by our patients.
Moreover the patients were much satisfied because of minimal or no bruises in the post-operative period as
compared to those who had the long Saphenous vein stripped with a stripper.

Keyword : varicose veins, stripping, stripper