Evaluating endovenous laser and glue ablation in the treatment of great saphenous vein insufficiency: A 5-year retrospective comparative study

Abstract

Aim: The use of endovascular thermal and nonthermal methods in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency has been in practice for over 10 years. The early results of these practices have been published and extensively discussed. Medium and long-term results are now being announced. In our study, we discussed the results of endovenous laser ablation and endovenous glue ablation methods, along with hemodynamic evaluations. Material and Methods: Doppler USG and Digital Photo Plethysmography were used to examine patients with chronic venous insufficiency in the C2-5 group who received endovenous ablation indication. Records of VCSS and CIVIQ-20 were obtained. Measurements were taken at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 60 months. Procedural and post-procedural variables were compared, and the results were obtained for a 5-year period. Results: The demographic profiles of the groups were similar. The duration of the procedure was significantly longer in the EVLA group. Similarly, the pain during the procedure was statistically significantly higher in the EVLA group. Venous refill time and venous half-life time showed a statistically significant improvement in both groups. While there were close to 100% closure rates in both groups during the first 6 months, the rates decreased to 95.2% in EVLA and 93.5% in EVGA by the end of the fifth year. Conclusion: With 5 years of objective and subjective findings, both EVLA and EVGA are effective and reliable methods with their advantages and disadvantages. However, EVGA may be more preferred by patients because it does not require tumescent anesthesia, causes less pain, and has a shorter procedure time.