Varicose vein is a common vascular disease of the lower extremities. The surgical obliteration or stripping of greater or lesser saphenous veins have been performed  traditionally in Korea. However it has been too difficult to decide the operation easily by the patient, as varicose vein is not painful and do not feel much discomfort.
1200 patients(1511 cases) of varicose veins in lower extremities treated during the period from 1995 to 1999. The 549 patients(765 cases) were treated by compression sclerotherapy and 651 patients(746 cases) were treated by the combined ablative surgery with sclerotherapy. 
 The 5 principles of treatment has been set up by our experience as follows.
 1) All patients were treated at the out patient dispensary 
 2) Less than 4 mm diameter of vessel were treated by only sclerotherapy with compression  stocking
 3) Great saphenous vein and lesser saphenous vein without valvular insufficiency were treated by sclerotherapy
 4) The mild venous insufficiency of great saphenous vein less than 10 mm in diameter and lesser saphenous vein less than 7 mm in diameter were treated by duplex guided sclerotherapy with or without ambulatory phlebectomy
 5) The severe venous insufficiency of great saphenous vein more than 10 mm in diameter and lesser saphenous vein more than 7 mm in diameter were treated by vein stripping and  ambulatory phlebectomy. 
 The average follow up period was 1 year(3 months - 5 years). The most of patients were satisfied with the result and severe complications were not observed. Recurrence was recognized in 46 cases(3%). 
 In conclusion, if well trained plastic surgeons in phlebology could diagnose the varicose vein accurately and treat them meticulously, the result of it would be better. Therefore the varicose vein could be a new realms of plastic surgery in future.