Endovasal obliteration techniques in patients with varicose disease in lower extremities

Abstract

Рurpose: To assess the effectiveness of radiofrequency obliteration (RFO) and laser ablation of varicose veins in patients with varicose disease. Materials and methods: 419 patients with varicose disease were taken into the study. 364 out of them had a combined therapy which included RFO of the large subdermal vein stem. 55 had endovasal laser obliteration (EVLO). Results: The intensity of postoperative pain in RFO group was 2.9 ± 0.6. Transient paresthesias were seen in 14 (3.4%) cases. Local ecchymoses were in 18 (4.3%) cases. Consequences of tumescent anesthesia were the following: local ecchymoses and hyposthesia resolved in 3-5 days. In one case skin pigmentation persisted up to 3 months. There were no complications like burn, infiltrate, suppuration, thrombosis, pulmonary artery thrombosis. In EVLO group the intensity of postoperative pain was 3.3 ± 0.5. Transient paresthesias were registered in 3 (5.5%) cases, local ecchymoses were in 21 (38.2%) cases. One patient (1.8%) had a complication looking like a burn. Thromboinduced thrombophebitis in 4 (7.3%) patients was regarded as a post EVLO complication caused by slow obliteration in some vein segments. Conclusion. High effectiveness of RFO and EVLO techniques has been confirmed in the present study. Though both techniques for endovasal obliteration have similar effectiveness, RFO seems to be less aggressive because of less pain syndrome, less bleeding and hematomas, what improves healing processes. Longer and larger observations could provide better and more accurate comparison of these two endovasal obliteration techniques.