[Systematic review of the efficacy and safety of surgery compared to minimally-invasive treatment options for the treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremity]

Warmuth M, Schumacher I, Maringer B,
Record ID 32011001586
English
Authors' objectives:

Varicose veins are the most common venous disease in German-speaking countries. According to the Bonn Vein Study, only about 14% of men and 6% of women do not have any sign of chronic venous insufficiency. Choosing an adequate therapy depends on the localisation, the size and the extent of varicose veins as well as on the presence of venous reflux. The aim of our systematic review is to evaluate the evidence concerning efficacy and safety of various treatment options for varicose veins. Therefore, we compared conservative therapy, surgery, sclerotherapy and endovenous thermal interventions, such as laser therapy and radiofrequency ablation, to one another. Additionally we tried to define a border between medically necessary versus cosmetically desired interventions.

Authors' recommendations: Overall, the evidence indicates that minimally-invasive thermal therapies are not inferior to surgery in terms of efficacy and safety. Moreover, endovenous laser therapy and endovenous radiofrequency ablation appear to be comparable concerning efficacy and safety outcomes. However, a standardised procedure and a minimum quantity of procedures performed per surgeon need to be established. In Austria, the treatment of varicose veins is compliant with international guidelines and guidelines from German speaking countries. Based on this review, it is not possible to define a border between medically necessary (invasive or minimally-invasive) versus cosmetically desired (invasive or minimally-invasive) interventions.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2011
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: Austria
MeSH Terms
  • Humans
  • Lower Extremity
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
  • Varicose Veins
  • Vascular Surgical Procedures
Contact
Organisation Name: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Health Technology Assessment
Contact Address: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for fuer Health Technology Assessment (LBI-HTA), Garnisongasse 7/rechte Stiege Mezzanin (Top 20), 1090 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 236 8119 - 0 Fax: +43 1 236 8119 - 99
Contact Name: tarquin.mittermayr@aihta.at
Contact Email: office@aihta.at
Copyright: Ludwig Boltzmann Institut fuer Health Technology Assessment (LBI-HTA)
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