Background: CHIVA (Cure Conservatrice et Hemodynamique de l'Insufficience Veineuse en Ambulatoire) is a conservative outpatient treatment strategy for chronic venous disease (CVD) that preserves the superficial venous system. A modified two-stage strategy is used in patients with a great saphenous vein (GSV) diameter ≥9 mm with the goal to decrease the risk of symptomatic superficial vein thrombosis (SVT), as the risk of complications is higher when first and second stage is performed simultaneously.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 111 patients with CVD and a GVS diameter ≥9 mm treated with two possible stages of the CHIVA strategy, between January 2010 and December 2019.