Medical liability insurance claims after treatment of varicose veins

Objective: Since insight into the reason for filing claims after treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremity might help prevent future claims, we determined the incidence of and reasons for medical liability insurance claims after such treatments in the Netherlands. Method: We performed a retrospective review of all medical liability insurance claims after varicose vein treatment handled by MediRisk between January 1993 and December 2007. Results: A total of 144 claims were filed of which 104 were closed by the end of the study period. Nerve injury (n = 28), skin necrosis following sclerotherapy (n = 17), deep vein injury (n = 11) and insufficient communication (n = 9) accounted for more than 60% of all claims. Claims were equally distributed among registrars and consultants. Some 41 of the 104 closed claims were accepted. In 27 of the accepted cases, the physician had obviously failed in providing the care as expected from a medical practitioner allowed to perform these treatments. The majority of these 27 claims were due to injury of nerves (n = 11) or deep veins (n = 9). Conclusion: The incidence of claims after treatment of varicose veins in the Netherlands is low. Proper knowledge of anatomy and adequate communication, along with the introduction of less invasive treatments might prevent future claims.