Endovenous laser treatment and conventional surgery in varicose veins of lower limbs: a clinical study

Objective To investigate the effect of endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) and conventional surgery in varicose veins of lower limbs. Methods The clinical data of 170 patients (221 limbs) with varicose veins of lower limbs, who were hospitalized in Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College between January 2010 and December 2011, were retrospectively analyzed. According to the surgical treatment, all patients were divided into the EVLT group (n=93, 122 limbs) and the conventional surgery group (n=77, 99 limbs). The surgical condition, hospital stay, complications, quality of life and the disease recurrence of the two groups were recorded. Results Compared with the conventional surgery group, the unilateral operation time, unilateral intraoperative blood loss, pain degree and hospital stay were significantly decreased in the EVLT group (all P 0.05). No statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate at 1, 3 and 5 years after the operation and CEAP clinical classification of the recurrent affected limbs were found between two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion EVLT and conventional surgery show good mid-term effect in varicose veins of lower limbs, while less postoperative complications and shorter recovery time are found in EVLT. Key words: Varicose veins; Laser therapy; Postoperative complications; Recurrence