title: Varicose veins: new trends in treatment in a Vascular Surgery Unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Less invasive techniques such as foam sclerotherapy, endovenous laser or radiofrequency ablation have recently been introduced as a valid alternative to surgery for the treatment of varicose veins (VVs). We retrospectively reviewed our experience in the treatment of VVs with particular attention to how our therapeutic approach has changed over the last years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of all patients consecutively treated from September 1st 2013 to July 31st 2015 for both primitive and recurrent VVs were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the software JMP 5.1.2 (SAS Institute).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 409 legs in 378 patients were treated. The percentage of stripping of the great saphenous veins (GSV) for primary VVs has decreased over the years (67% in 2013 vs 15.2% in 2015), differently from what happened to the percentage of RFA of the GSV (14.3% vs. 31.5% respectively in 2013 and in 2015) and to the percentage of legs treated with the A.S.V.A.L. technique (8.7% vs. 31.5% respectively in 2013 and in 2015). Likewise, in 2013 most procedures were performed using spinal anesthesia (77.5%), while in 2015 the most used anesthetic techniques were both the local anesthesia and the local anesthesia with conscious sedation (35.9% and 29.3% respectively). Postoperative course was uneventful in all cases but seven (1.7%). At follow-up (median 16.9 months, IQR 7.5-22.6 months), neither major adverse events nor deaths were recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the years of our experience, we observed a trend towards a less invasive approach for the treatment of VVs, with safe and effective results.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Ablation Radiofrequency, Stripping, Varicose veins.
authors.forename: Daniela P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mazzaccaro
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stegher
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Occhiuto
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muzzarelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malacrida
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000639:trends