Are varicose veins and coronary artery bypass surgery compatible?

In 35 legs being operated on for varicose veins a venogram showed that the part of the long saphenous vein below the knee does not undergo varicose dilatation. In 7 of the 9 examined postoperatively this segment remained patent after the vein above was stripped. Varicose veins resulting from saphenofemoral incompetence can be treated surgically by stripping the long saphenous vein only to the knee and yet still leave a non-varicose segment for future coronary artery bypass grafting.