Comparison of Radiofrequency Ablation and Saphenous Vein Stripping for the Treatment of Recurrent Lower Extremity Venous Insufficiency.

Objective: To compare the efficiency and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and saphenous vein stripping (SVS) for the treatment of recurrent lower extremity chronic superficial venous insufficiency (CSVI).

Methods: Patients who underwent SVS and RFA for recurrent lower extremity CSVI following RFA and patients who had 2-year follow-up results were enrolled into the study. Total, 37 patients who underwent a second RFA session with 2-year follow-up results were available. Then 37 patients were selected from 88 patients who underwent SVS for recurrent lower extremity CSVI to achieve a 1:1 ratio for comparison. Groups were compared based on preoperative properties, operative parameters, postoperative outcomes, complications and follow-up results.

Results: Duration of the procedure was 20.7 minutes in the RFA group and 30.7 minutes in the SVS group (P = .001). Postoperative pain at first hour, sixth hour and 24 hour were significantly lower in patients who underwent RF (P = .001 for each parameter). Moreover, hospitalization time (18.1 hours vs 24.6 hours, P = .001) and time to return to normal daily activities (1.6 days and 2.5 days, P = .001) were significantly shorter in the RFA group. Success of the procedure did not statistically significant at first year follow-up (P = .304). However, success was significantly higher for the SVS group at second year follow-up (73% for RFA group and 91.9% for SVS group, P = .032).

Conclusion: We achieved significantly shorter procedure time, less postoperative hospitalization time, and a shorter time to return to daily activities with RFA. In contrast, the success rate of SVS was significantly higher at the second year follow-up, but not the first year follow-up in comparison with RFA.