Stripping of varicose veins
Stripping used to be the gold standard for varicose vein treatment.
Where the varicose vein originates (groin, knee fold), an incision of four to five centimetres was made, the superficial vein detached from the main vein, and after inserting a sturdy nylon cable in the blood vessel, the sick vein was pulled out or stripped down to below the limb. This treatment can be carried out under local anaesthesia but is invasive and causes far more pain and a longer recovery period after the procedure than the minimally invasive treatments with laser or radio frequency.
This technique is abandoned due to its invasive nature or is only performed when there is a strict medical contra-indication for endolaser treatment or radio frequency treatment.