A Rare Complication of Varicose Vein Surgery

Abstract

Design: Case report. Setting: University Hospital in the Czech Republic. Patients: Patient undergoing surgery for primary varicose veins. Interventions: The patient underwent attempted long saphenous vein stripping by passing a flexible stripper from ankle to groin. The stripper fractured at its upper end and a fragment of stripper became lodged in the internal iliac vein in the pelvis. This was removed at laparotomy. The patient made an uncomplicated recovery. Conclusion: Major complications of varicose vein surgery are rare. This unusual problem was probably caused by material fatigue in the stripper, leading to fracture near the upper end of the stripper.