DefinitionVein stripping is surgery to remove varicose veins in the legs.Alternative NamesVein stripping with ligation, avulsion, or ablation; Saphenous vein ligationDescriptionVaricose veins are swollen, painful veins that have filled with blood. They usually develop in the legs.Normally, valves in your veins keep your blood flowing forward, so the blood does not collect in one place.The valves with varicose veins are either damaged or missing. This causes the veins to become filled with blood, especially when you are standing.Vein stripping for this problem is done to remove a large vein in the leg called the superficial saphenous vein.Vein stripping takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Most people receive either:General anesthesia and will be unconscious and unable to feel pain.Spinal anesthes