Comment to: Drop foot, a rare complication following Müller’s phlebectomy, by Otters EFM, van Neer PAFA. Phlebology 2012;27:1-2.

A 43-year old woman had previously undergone bilateral surgical stripping of the great saphenous vein and the right small saphenous vein and subsequent sclerottherapy. She later presented with reticular visible asymptomatic varicose veins on the dorsolateral side of the right upper leg up to shortly below her knee. A phlebectomy was performed by local anesthesia (non-tumescent) with approximately 15 cm3 lidocaine 1%. Immediately after phlebectomy, the patient noticed weakness of the right foot, right foot drop, without neurological pain. The drop foot disappeared spontaneously after several hours without therapy. The sciatic nerve runs behind the femur from the buttock to the lower thigh where it divides into the common peroneal nerve (CPN) and tibial nerve. The CPN then descends along the lateral side of the popliteal fossa to the head of the fibula. It winds round the head of the fibula and divides into the superficial peroneal nerve and the deep peroneal nerve....