Endovascular laser coagulation in varicose vein relapses in the lower extremities

Objective. To study the effectiveness of endovascular laser coagulation in patients with recurrent varicose veins in their lower extremities. Material and methods. Outcomes after the treatment of 54 patients with varicose vein relapses in the lower extremities were analyzed. Under the tumescent anesthesia, endovascular laser coagulation was made: in 5 patients – stump of the great saphenous vein; in 22 patients – recanalized, residual and preserved subcutaneous venous trunks; in 27 patients – insufficient communicating veins of the thigh and lower leg. Results and discussion. In average, surgery lasted for 31 ± 0.6 minutes; intensity of the postoperative pain syndrome was 3.4 ± 0.4 points. Early postoperative complications were registered in 1 (1.8 %) patient, side effects in the form of hyperpigmentation and paraesthesia – in 4 (7.4 %). In 12 months, all operated patients demonstrated an improvement in all parameters of their quality of life by 29.2– 40 %; cosmetic outcome after surgery was 7.8 points out of a ten-point scale. The long-term observation revealed the relapse in varicose veins only in 1 (1.8 %) patient. Conclusion. The justified use of endovasal laser coagulation in patients with relapses of varicose veins in the lower extremities allows to avoid manipulations in the area of scar-altered tissues, to reduce tissue damage and duration of surgery, to improve patients’ quality of life, to avoid additional incisions as well as to improve cosmetic outcomes after surgery.