The autologous great saphenous vein is the most effective bypass choice for lower limb revascularization, playing an important role in myocardial revascularization, and can be used in venous system surgeries and extremity traumas. Stripping increases the risk of lymphatic lesions and nerve damage. Therefore, when surgery or other techniques are used to treat primary varicose veins in the lower limbs, preservation of the saphenous vein is a desirable objective whenever the vein remains healthy or with alterations that still allow preservation by correcting the cause. Such corrections can be performed surgically. Among the methods currently used, the ambulatory conservative hemodynamic correction of venous insufficiency has yielded good results. A randomized controlled trial confirming the efficacy of this procedure has been recently published. Another largely used technique is flush ligation of the saphenofemoral junction plus saphenous veins stripping and ligation of its tributaries at the groin, which has yielded conflicting results. Finally, there are techniques that correct saphenofemoral reflux by external valvuloplasty of the saphenofemoral junction. An international multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, testing a new device, is currently in progress with favorable preliminary results. This study aimed to review the techniques employed to preserve the great saphenous vein in varicose vein surgery.
Varicose veins; great saphenous vein; ultrasound; surgery