Background. Acceptance of disease promotes a sense of security, weakens the negative emotions caused by disease, thus reducing patient discomfort.

Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the acceptability of the disease in surgically treated patients and outpatients because of varicose veins and to explore whether to undergo surgery that may indicate a lesser degree of illness acceptance in patients treated surgically.

Material and methods.The study was conducted among hospital patients using a standardized questionnaire, AIS and included a group of 50 people before undergoing an operation to remove varicose veins and a group of 50 people with the same ailment but outpatients.

Results and conclusions. In both groups, most responses indicate medium and high degree of acceptance of the disease. There was no significant difference by AIS according to the sex, both in the group. There was a significant correlation between age and acceptance of the disease. Patients with a BMI in the normal ratio show a higher degree of acceptance of the disease than patients with higher BMI values, however, the relationship between AIS and BMI for both groups together is not statistically significant. The study showed that the individual level of acceptance discomfort associated with the disease measured by a standardized questionnaire AIS is conditional upon:

— age, body mass index,

— work,

— a history of hospitalizations. Acceptance of disease in people who have decided to undergo surgical removal of varicose veins is significantly lower than in patients suffering from the same defect but outpatients.