CRYOVARICECTOMY - A NEW SURGICAL METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF VARICOSE-VEINS

The conventional surgical solution of primary varicose veins has been replaced recently by the percutaneous techniques. The authors report o n the operation and results of cryovaricectomy. The technical principl es are the same as the formerly used percutaneous methods that is afte r a properly executed crossectomy the authors introduce a stripping cr yoprobe into the long saphenous vein anterogradely or retrogradely, Af ter having the basic instrument set info operation the probe becomes f rozen to 80 degrees centigrade below zero and the vein adhered to the probe due to the cryoeffect will be removed percutaneously, Thereafter the side branches are extracted by a cryoprobe of proper length in th e same way. The operation is finished by fixing a compression bandage. The advantages of cryovaricectomy compared to the mechanical methods include short time of the operation, tissue protection and smaller pos toperative hematoma.