Perthes test

The Perthes test is a clinical test for assessing the patency of the deep femoral vein prior to varicose vein surgery. It is named after German surgeon Georg Perthes.

The limb is elevated and an elastic bandage is applied firmly from the toes to the upper 1/3 of the thigh to obliterate the superficial veins only. With the bandage applied the patient is asked to walk for 5 minutes. If deep system is competent, the blood will go through and back to the heart. If the deep system is incompetent, the patient will feel pain in the leg.