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Article: What's new in varicose veins?(More about ... Vascular surgery)(Clinical report)
- Article from:
- CME: Your SA Journal of CPD
- Article date:
- July 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 South African Medical Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The fundamentals of varicose vein surgery have not changed for many decades and conventional open surgery remains the gold standard against which other treatment modalities are measured. Conventional open surgery is, however, not without problems. The recurrence rate is 10-15% at 2 years and as high as 60-70% after 20 years. (1) Approximately 25% of patients require further surgery and recurrent disease accounts for 20% of all varicose vein surgery. (1) Despite being a relatively minor procedure for a non-life-threatening condition, varicose vein surgery is a common reason for litigation, accounting for 17% of settled claims in general/vascular surgery. Complications ...