Varicose Veins

Varicose Veins. Harold Ellis and Peter Taylor. 122 pp. Illust. Greenwich Medical Media, London, UK; Oxford University Press Canada, Toronto. 1999. Can$28.95. ISBN 1-900151-677

This book is written specifically for patients who are looking for more information about venous varicosities. The authors, 2 experienced vascular surgeons, succeed in their stated goal of “correcting misconceptions about varicose veins and helping the patient help the doctor in treatment.”

Each of the 10 chapters begins with a summary of several sentences. Tables and short lists are used extensively to summarize the information. Photographs and diagrams are also used widely. This user-friendly mode of organization makes the book easy to read in one sitting.

The first few chapters attempt to put the problem of venous insufficiency in perspective and give the reader a working knowledge of venous anatomy and physiology. The anatomy and physiology section is reasonably extensive and would probably be skimmed over by the average patient. The chapter on investigations describes in detail the use of duplex scanning. Again the average patient would quickly find this section more than adequate in its detail.

Several chapters discuss the conservative management of varicosities and venous stasis ulcers. This is indicative of the overall slant of the book, which favours nonoperative management. There is a reasonable discussion of sclerotherapy and a shorter description of saphenous vein stripping and vein excisions. Deep venous surgery is mentioned in passing. The discussion of venous surgery also includes a section entitled “Your stay in hospital.” Written for the British patient, this section is less applicable in the Canadian setting.

The book ends with an excellent 7-page chapter in question-and-answer format that provides a good summary of the information for those patients who are not interested in reading the entire book.

This text provides a good overview of venous diseases for the patient. I would certainly recommend it for those motivated patients who want more information. However, it is probably too extensive for the average patient. For these patients I would recommend the final chapter of questions and answers as a very useful patient-oriented summary of venous disease.