Comparative Study of Cryostripping and Endovenous Laser Therapy for Varicose Veins: Mid-Term Results.
BACKGROUND
Conventional stripping is considered to be the standard procedure for great saphenous vein (GSV) varicosities, but many other alternative treatments such as cryostripping, endovenous laser therapy (EVLT), radio-frequency ablation, and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy have been developed. Among them, both cryostripping and laser therapy have been reported to be less traumatic, with lower rates of complications and recurrences when compared to conventional stripping. To compare the efficacy of these treatments, we have analyzed and compared the mid-term clinical outcomes of cryostripping and EVLT.


METHODS
Patients diagnosed with varicose veins of the GSV and treated with cryostripping or laser therapy between September 2008 and April 2013 were enrolled in this study. Duplex ultrasonography was used for the diagnosis and evaluation of varicosity and reflux, and the clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathophysiology classification was used to measure the clinical severity. The symptoms, Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), recurrence rates, and complication rates of the cryostripping and laser therapy groups were analyzed and compared.


RESULTS
A total of 68 patients were enrolled in this study. 32 patients were treated with cryostripping, and 36 patients were treated with laser therapy. The median follow-up period was 29.6 months. Recurrence was noted in three patients from the cryostripping group and in two patients from the EVLT group. There was no difference in the VCSS score, operative time, duration of hospital stay, and complication rate between the cryostripping group and the EVLT group.


CONCLUSIONS
The mid-term clinical outcomes of cryostripping were not inferior to those of EVLT. Further, considering its cost-effectiveness, cryostripping seems to be a safe and feasible method for the treatment of varicose veins.
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Kwang Hyoung
KH
Lee
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Jae Ho
JH
Chung
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Kwang Taik
KT
Kim
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Sung Ho
SH
Lee
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Ho Sung
HS
Son
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Jae Seung
JS
Jung
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Hee Jung
HJ
Kim
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine.
Seung Hun
SH
Lee
Cryostripping; Endovenous laser therapy; Varicose veins; Venous disease