Comparison of Foam Sclerotherapy Alone or Combined With Stripping of the Great Saphenous Vein for Treating Varicose Veins.

BACKGROUND

Varicose veins (VVs) have a substantial impact on patients' quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to retrospectively compare the short-term clinical outcomes of 2 treatment methods for VVs, namely high ligation and stripping (HL/S) of the great saphenous vein combined with foam sclerotherapy (FS), and FS alone.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Totally, 180 patients with VVs were included and treated with FS alone or HL/S+FS. Assessments included the first injection efficacy, postoperative status, complications, operative time, and recovery time. A follow-up duration was performed. Patient satisfaction was also recorded.

RESULTS

No significant differences in the complete occlusion rate of the varicose tributaries, as well as in postoperative complications, were found between the treatment groups (p > 0.05). The complete occlusion rates of the varicose tributaries in the FS and HL/S+FS groups were 90% and 90%, respectively. Although mild phlebitis and local pigmentation were found in both groups, they disappeared during the follow-up period. Operative and recovery times were higher in the HL/S+FS group than in the FS group.

CONCLUSION

The HL/S+FS and FS alone showed equivalent efficacy for treating patients with VVs. Considering the increased operative and recovery times, FS alone is recommended to treat VVs in clinical practice.