[Varicose liposclerosis amd ulcers: importance of cryo-stripping]

Varicose veins stripping is often a difficult procedure when lipodermatosclerosis or ulcers are present, because malleolar incision is impossible. On the contrary, cryo-stripping is performed by a single incision of the groin or the popliteal fossa. A cryroprobe is inserted into the vein lumen, after ligating and interrupting the sapheno-femoral or popliteal junction. The lower saphenous extremity is frozen. The vein is broken and returned inside-out by removing the cryo-probe upwards. Upon 3,811 legs operated on from 1988 to 1994, there were 265 liposclerosis and 114 ulcers. Deep venous insufficiency was associated 43 times. In less than three months, all but six ulcers were healed. These six patients suffered from post phlebitic syndrome. Cryo-stripping is an efficient method in the treatment of unhealing infected ulcers or severe venous lipodermatosclerosis.