[Venous ligation in ambulatory patients]

The author here suggests a simple treatment not of the varicose illness but of the main functional symptomatology especially affecting old people, who, too often, are negligent or neglected. By means of a simple ligation, under local anaesthetic, of a long saphenous vein below the saphenofemoral junction, it is possible to achieve the rapid treatment of trophic disorders such as ulceration or major varicose ectasia. The one thing that counts here is the idea of a short term result, and the average three-and-a-half weeks healing time for the ulcers studied attests to this. The indications involve about 2% of the population and apply especially to old people who either refuse to be operated on or wouldn't benefit by surgery. However, this method is still an exceptional therapeutic solution.