Effect of temperature for tumescence anesthesia solution on intraoperative and postoperative pain of endovenous laser ablation of lower extremity varicose vein

Abstract

To compare the effect of cold or room temperature of tumescence anesthesia solution on pain perception during and after endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) for varicose veins of lower limb. Methods: A total of 51 patients with lower extremity varicose vein were treated by EVLA with tumescence anesthesia solution. All patients were used for local anesthesia and randomly divided into 2 groups according to the temperature of tumescence anesthesia solution: Group A (n=26) with room temperature (24 ℃) of tumescence anesthesia solution and Group B (n=25) with cold (4 ℃) tumescence anesthesia solution. Number rating scale (NRS) was recorded immediately after the procedure and postoperative 1, 2, 3 day. Patients were asked to register pain scores during the week. Results: The mean linear endovenous energy density (LEED) in the 2 groups was not significantly different (P>0.05). The ratio of patients without pain during the operation in the Group A was lower than that in the Group B (30.8% vs 64%, P<0.05). On the day of operation and postoperative day 1, 2, 3, the average number rating scale (NRS) scores in the Group A were greater than those in the Group B (P<0.05). Postoperative day 1, only 30.8% of the patients in the Group A resumed daily activities, which was lower than that (68% of the patients) in the Group B. Conclusion: In the process of EVLA for varicose veins of lower limb, there is less pain during operation and post-operation using cold tumescence anesthesia solution comparing room temperature tumescence anesthesia solution.