ABSTRACT
Incompetent perforating veins were observed in patients with venous ulceration more than a century ago by John Gay,1 but surgical interruption of these to prevent ulcer recurrence was first suggested by Linton only in 1938.2 Linton attributed a key role to ‘communicating’ veins in the mechanism of venous ulceration, an idea embraced later by Cockett,3,4 Dodd,5
and several other investigators.6-12 The rationale of surgical interruption of perforating veins was to prevent transmission of elevated venous pressure from the deep to the superficial venous system during ambulation, and thereby promote ulcer healing.
