Definition and treatment of varicose veins Varicose veins are defined when the veins of the lower extremities become dilated and bulging with a diameter greater than 3 millimeters. Their incidence is 10-40%; if left untreated, they will not heal on their own. Most of them will continue to develop with eczema, ulcers, venous thrombosis, and deep vein thrombosis. Surgery is the definitive treatment for varicose veins. Surgical methods include traditional high ligation stripping, endovenous laser therapy, radiofrequency, microwave and a combination of minimally invasive techniques. In the majority of patients, minimally invasive procedures can be used with results equal to or better than traditional surgery. Are there medications to cure varicose veins? There are no medications that can cure or treat varicose veins; a few medications can relieve the discomfort, but not cure them. Some Chinese medicines, ointments and salves lack serious supervision and identification by the real authorities, and many patients reacted with “little therapeutic effect or even side effects” after applying them. Some female patients buy potions from the Internet and use them to rub on their skin, with unexpected results. What are the preventive measures? Avoid standing for long periods of time; walk or run; exercise regularly to improve muscle strength and blood circulation in the lower limbs, to the extent that the individual can tolerate; maintain an ideal body weight; don’t cross your thighs when sitting, i.e., don’t cross your legs; wear medical stockings; don’t wear tight pants because tight pants may compress the saphenous vein into the deep veins. In fact, varicose veins can be combined with lumbar spine disorders or combined with arthritis. After curing varicose veins, back pain or leg pain will remain if the back pain or arthritis is not treated. Do women need surgery for varicose veins during pregnancy? Varicose veins during pregnancy: Surgery or invasive treatment is not recommended, but can be treated conservatively, e.g. by wearing compression stockings. Varicose veins can be triggered or aggravated by the process of pregnancy, and in most cases the varicose veins become less severe after delivery. Most of the varicose veins will become less severe after delivery. Surgical treatment will be determined according to the situation after breastfeeding. Medical compression stockings Compression stockings can assist in the treatment and slow down the development of the disease, but never cure. After minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins, compression stockings must be worn for 2-3 months, which is crucial for postoperative recovery. Patients who are afraid of surgery are recommended to wear medical compression stockings. It is necessary to choose the right medical compression stockings according to the size of the lower limbs. Therapeutic compression stockings need to be 25mmHg, depending on the circumference of the ankle and lower leg. The pressure is gradually reduced upwards, which has an adjunctive therapeutic effect on slowing down the development of varicose veins, preventing venous thrombosis and ankle oedema, but does not have a curative effect. It is suitable for patients with non-surgical treatment, post-surgical patients; patients with lower extremity deep vein thrombosis or post deep vein thrombosis syndrome. The diagnosis of saphenous vein can be made by clinical examination, and it is better to make ultrasound examination before operation; under special circumstances, invasive examination will be considered for complicated cases: venography. Pre-operative examination 1. Compulsory examination: Pre-operative routine examination (including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, AIDS), blood sampling without fasting. Like airplane security check, preoperative examination is a requirement of hospital safety management measures. This is despite the fact that the patient’s annual physical examination is normal and he has never suffered from hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, or AIDS. 2. Ultrasound or imaging of the arteries and veins of the lower extremities; 3. Electrocardiogram. Possible Complications of Surgery In order of least to most complications, the surgical procedures are: minimally invasive surgery, minimally invasive laser surgery, and traditional surgery. Sub-minimally invasive surgery has basically no major complications. The following are common problems after the traditional old method: 1, postoperative recurrence, recurrence of serious cases need to be operated again; 2, numbness of the inner calf and foot skin: the incidence of at least 10%, saphenous nerve injury caused by numbness of the inner calf skin. It is not uncommon, more will be self-healing, in half a year to 1 year will gradually improve, even if the existence of the patient’s life will not be affected; 3, the wound pain, half a month or even 1 month after the operation, the pain will gradually ease the improvement. 4, the issue of skin preparation before surgery: according to the type of surgery, sub-minimally invasive method does not need to insert a catheter, does not require perineal skin preparation. Skin preparation is not skin grafting. 5.Point-flake bleeding; chronic edema; combined infection, venous ulcers, hyperpigmentation, eczema; surgical scars. 6. Saphenous vein surgery is a class I sterile procedure and routine postoperative antibiotics are unnecessary unless there is a combination of infection, ulcer or phlebitis. The purpose of treatment is to avoid complications such as ulcers, eczema or venous thrombosis, or aesthetic requirements. Long-term follow-up is required after treatment to observe the results. Whether surgery is needed or not, and the type of surgery to be used, there is no uniform standard in China, and most doctors decide according to the patient’s condition, wishes and professional experience of the doctor, so it is not difficult for the same patient to get different explanations from different hospitals or different doctors.