Endovenous laser ablation vs conventional surgery in the management of superficial venous insufficiency.

Background and objective Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) of the great saphenous vein (GSV) is much more used as an alternative method of treatment instead of conventional surgery procedures. EVLA is thought to decrease postoperative morbidity with rapid recovery and early return to daily activity. The goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness, postoperative pain, complications, and patient satisfaction following either EVLA or conventional surgery for varicose veins of the lower limbs. Patients and methods This is a retrospective study that was conducted on 50 consecutive patients/60 limbs (10 bilateral and 40 unilateral) presented to Kasr Al Aini Hospitals, Cairo University and Asir Central Hospital Saudi Arabia from January 2015 to January 2018 with truncal varicose veins involving GSV. Patients were divided into two groups: group I (30 limbs) who underwent conventional surgery in the form of high ligation and striping and group II (30 limbs) who underwent EVLA. Results The EVLT group was associated with good patient satisfaction with early return to daily activities and work. Pain, paresthesia, ecchymosis, hematoma were significantly higher in group II (P<0.05), with low rate of recurrence in both groups with no statistically significant difference between both groups. Conclusion Both EVLT and conventional surgery techniques were performed well as regards efficacy with low rate of recurrence for incompetent GSV. Less postoperative pain and complications were observed with EVLT as compared with conventional surgery such as ecchymosis, hematoma, superficial thrombophlebitis, and paresthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]