title: Quality of life after great saphenous vein ablation in Thai patients with great saphenous vein reflux.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the quality of life (QoL) in Thais after intervention for great saphenous vein (GSV) reflux.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with Clinical Etiologic Anatomic Pathophysiologic classes 2 and 3 were enrolled in this study. QoL was measured using the EuroQol descriptive system (EQ-5D) questionnaire, and patients chose to receive either endovenous treatment or surgery after consulting with their surgeons. The QoL before the intervention, at 1 week, and at 1 month after the intervention were evaluated. Patients who reported "no problem" in each domain of the EQ-5D questionnaire before and 1 month after the intervention were compared. Utility gain was estimated from the questionnaire and compared between clinical classes. The proportion of worsening QoL at 1 week after the intervention was compared between patients receiving endovenous procedures and surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 83 patients-56 received endovenous procedures [23 received ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) and 33 received radiofrequency ablation (RFA)] and 27 received surgery-were enrolled. QoLs were significantly better in all domains after the intervention: pain/discomfort (58%), mobility (42%), anxiety/depression (38%), usual activities (19%), and self-care (9%). Utility gain was 0.255 (95% confidence interval: 0.197-0.313) and higher in class 3. At 1 week after the intervention, surgery had significantly higher patients with worse mobility scores. Among endovenous procedures, UGFS had higher patients with worse pain/discomfort scores than RFA at 1 week after the intervention (16% vs. 0%, p = 0.025).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GSV ablation for GSV reflux in Thai patients with CEAP C2 and C3 categories significantly improves both physical and mental QoL; patients who received endovenous procedures were found to have better early physical QoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University Hospital, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Applied Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University Hospital, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand. Electronic address: boonying22@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Boonying
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Siribumrungwong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chonburi Hospital, Chonburi, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pinit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noorit
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chumpon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilasrusmee
authors.affiliation: Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
authors.forename: Yot
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Teerawattananon
authors.affiliation: Section for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Ammarin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thakkinstian
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057510:Endovascular Procedures; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D015911:Sclerotherapy; D013785:Thailand; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: endovenous procedures; quality of life; utility; varicose vein