[Stripping of the external saphenous vein. Use of the Hall Chevallier stripper]. / Eveinage de la saphène externe. Utilisation du tire-veine de Hall Chevallier.

In more than 20 cases we used the Hall Chevallier stripper (initially devised to remove the valves of the internal saphenous vein in femoro-popliteal bypass) for stripping of the external saphenous vein. This routine procedure is not always easy to perform, owing to the irregular caliber of that vessel. There are three reasons why we used this particular stripper for this unusual purpose: its end is streamlined; strippers of different calibers are available and the instrument is rigid. In those exceptional cases where the external saphenous vein is not accessible from below (e.g. notably after sclerosis), stripping can be carried out from above.