[Arterial complications of the treatment of varices]

Surgical accidents (wounding, the inept mutilation of the fork of the femoral artery) are serious only when they are not recognized, and are treated late. If they are treated immediately, or soon after their occurrence, by an able team, recovery is usually straight-forward and successful. However, if a sclerosant solution is injected by accident intra-arterially, it causes irreparable damage to the area concerned, even if diagnosis is immediate and a strongly active treatment administered. Examples are cited.