Comparative analysis of endovenous laser ablation versus ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for the treatment of venous leg ulcers

Endovenous thermal and non-thermal therapeutic approaches have become standard of care for the treatment of venous insufficiency. However, comparative studies on its use in the population of venous leg ulcer patients are scarce. The present study aimed at a comparison of the efficacy of endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) for the treatment of venous leg ulcers (VUs). We retrospectively analyzed patient records of 68 patients with active VUs (C6 of the CEAP-classification), who underwent EVLA (n = 33) or UGFS (n = 35) between January 2001 and January 2021. In 68 patients, 97 venous segments (GSV: 43, SSV: 17, NSV: 37) were treated. Ulcer surface area at initial presentation did not differ significantly between both treatment groups (EVLA: 7.7 ± 10.7 vs. UGFS: 8.5 ± 16.3 cm