Outcome of varicose vein surgery in a general surgical unit

Abstract

Background: Varicose veins are tortuous, widened veins in the subcutaneous tissues of the legs and are often easily visible. In our country, we do have not sufficient vascular surgery centers or vascular surgeons. So general surgeons have training in vascular surgery and performing operations of varicose veins. This study aimed to show the operative procedure, results of treatment in terms of symptom improvement, and complications of varicose vein surgery done by general surgeons in a rural medical college hospital in Bangladesh. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of General Surgery in Sheikh Hasina Medical College, Jamalpur, Bangladesh from January 2017 to December 2022. A total of 20 patients were selected as study subjects by simple random sampling. Operative procedure depended upon pre-operative duplex imaging findings, and patients were kept under 6 months follow-up. The outcome was based on the cure and recurrence rate of varicose veins. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Analysis of data was carried out by using a statistical package for social science (SPSS) 22.0 for Windows. After analysis, the data were presented in tables and charts. Results: It was observed that 3 (15.0%) patients experienced ulceration after surgical procedure, followed by 2 (10.0%) developed DVT, 1 (5.0%) patient had wound hematoma, and 1 (5.0%) patient showed recurrence. Concerning the outcome of varicose veins after surgical procedures, the majority (18,20.0%) of the patients showed complete cure, 1 (5.0%) patient presented with recurrence, and 1 (5.0%) patient developed complication. Conclusions: Despite the relatively low occurrence of complications and recurrence following surgery for varicose veins, the substantial 90% cure rate it offers is noteworthy. This study underscores the feasibility of conducting varicose vein surgery by general surgeons equipped with training in vascular surgery, ensuring safety and minimizing complications.