title: Varicose vein surgery performed by a surgical care practitioner.
abstract: A surgical care practitioner (SCP) completed a structured training programme to perform all aspects of varicose vein surgery including sapheno-femoral disconnection and long saphenous vein stripping. Over a four-year period, she performed 152 groin procedures, closed 191 groin wounds and undertook phlebectomies on 91 legs with excellent results. A SCP can be used to improve theatre utilization and efficiency with no obvious drawbacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Charles Hastings Way, Worcester WR5 1DD, UK. nick.hickey@worcsacute.nhs.uk
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D003162:Competency-Based Education; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000193:education*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000451:nursing* / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures