Acceptability and safety of out-patient sapheno-femoral ligation under local anaesthesia. a report of 100 consecutive cases

The results of 100 consecutive Trendelenberg groin ligations performed during an 8-month period on 85 patients were assessed. Surgery was performed on an out-patient basis by one surgeon (M.S.) under local anaesthesia. All patients were recalled for review. Mean follow-up time was 4 months. Operative pain was severe in two patients, moderate in 16, mild in 26 and absent in 56. Postoperative pain was severe in nine patients, moderate in 22, mild in 34 and absent in 55. There was one infection, one haematoma, and one acute haemorrhage needing re-operation. The average number of work days lost was four. There was no evidence of recurrent sapheno-femoral incompetence. Eighty of the 85 patients felt they had obtained a good result from the operation, and only three patients would not have undergone the operation again. We conclude that out-patient sapheno-femoral ligation under local anaesthesia is acceptable to patients and has low morbidity.