Authors
Klimakova Yu.R., Kalinin R.E., Suchkov I.A., Povarov V.O.
Ryazan State Medical University, Ryazan
Abstract
Background: minimally invasive treatment methods for varicose veins are aesthetically pleasing and minimally invasive. However, many aspects of the patient’s psychological and physical adaptation accompanying surgical treatment remain insufficiently studied. A comprehensive assessment of the impact of various surgical treatment methods on patients’ quality of life (QOL) is needed.
Aims: comparative assessment of QOL after various minimally invasive methods of treatment of varicose veins – miniphlebectomy and sclerotherapy – in patients with varicose veins using the CIVIQ-20 (The ChronIc Venous Insuficiency quality of life Questionnaire) and SF-36 (The Short Form-36) questionnaires.
Materials and methods: a prospective single-center study included 84 patients with CEAP C1-C4 varicose veins. Patients were divided into two comparable groups: in group 1 (n = 43), patients underwent endovascular laser coagulation (EVLC) and miniphlebectomy of dilated tributaries; in group 2 (n = 41), EVLC and sclerotherapy of dilated tributaries were performed. QOL was assessed using the CIVIQ-20 and SF-36 questionnaires before surgery, on days 3 and 7, and 1 and 6 months after the intervention.
Results: The study demonstrated similar long-term QOL dynamics in patients with varicose veins according to the CIVIQ-20 and SF-36 questionnaires: QOL improved 6 months after surgery. According to the intergroup analysis, the physical health component decreased more significantly on the third day after surgery in patients undergoing miniphlebectomy (Group 1), while the psychological health component overall decreased on the third and seventh days after surgery, compared to patients who underwent sclerotherapy of the dilated tributaries (Group 2).
Conclusions: miniphlebectomy and sclerotherapy of varicose veins in patients with varicose veins demonstrate comparable efficacy in improving quality of life at long-term follow-up. Furthermore, sclerotherapy of varicose veins is associated with better physical and psychological health outcomes in the early postoperative period, which can be considered when choosing a treatment method for some patients.
Keywords: varicose veins of the lower extremities, quality of life, endovenous laser coagulation, miniphlebectomy, sclerotherapy, CIVIQ-20 questionnaire, SF-36 questionnaire.
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