[Current treatment of varices of the lower extremities in Czechoslovakia]

The author gives original information on the situation in Czechoslovakia regarding the treatment of varicose veins. The prevalence of varicose veins is 20%, the incidence is more than 1% in the adult population. Heredity accounts for 75% of these cases. In one year, only 35 to 129 patients are operated for varicose veins in a department of Clinical Surgery. The serious complications were analysed over a period of 10 years: there were 37 cases of pulmonary embolism and 10 deaths out of 95,000 operations for varices. The long-term results, that is from 5 - 15 years, were considered to be satisfactory in more than 90% of the cases operated. In Czechoslovakia, sclerotherapy is still a complementary method. However, the good results of sclerosing varices have been proven by the statistics issued by the phlebological clinics set up by the Czech Dermatological Association.