RESUMEN
AIM: The aim of our study is to report our experience on the surgery for recurrent varicose veins of the legs over the period 2007-2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of 480 consecutive surgical procedures for varicose veins of the legs was reviewed; among a total of 480 cases, 65 procedures were for recurrent varicose veins. Data collected included clinical characteristics, surgical techniques, cause of recurrence and surgical outcomes. We analyzed the causes of recurrences in order to determine factors that influence recurrence itself. RESULTS: Sixty-five procedures for recurrent varicose veins were analized. The main causes of recurrence were: persistence of collaterals at the saphenofemoral junction (27.7%), inadequate stripping of the long saphenous vein (18.5%), perforating veins insufficiency (66.1%), sapheno-femoral junction neovascolarisation (12.3%), inguinal or popliteal cavernoma (27.7%), recurrence after short saphenous venous surgery (4.5%). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that, as is clear from our study, the main cause of recurrence is inadequate surgery. This can only be due to inadequate preoperative assessment (lack of rigorous clinical and US Doppler rigorous evaluation) and not correct surgical technique, as it may occur if the surgery is performed by a surgeon inexperienced in this type of surgery.