Randomized comparative study to compare between conventional surgical ligation and stripping of great saphenous vein and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of venous ulcers

Background
This comparative study compared the outcomes of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the great saphenous vein versus conventional surgery in healing of venous ulcers.
Aim
This study aimed to analyze the benefits of RFA of the great saphenous vein versus conventional surgery in the healing of venous ulcers.
Patients and methods
This is a prospective comparative study involving 40 patients, carried out in the Vascular Surgery Department at Ain Shams University Hospitals and Ahmed Maher Hospital in Cairo with follow-up at 2, 4, and 6 months. Here, we present the early follow-up outcomes of both treatment modalities and more follow-up time will be needed to confirm the results of this study. This study included 40 patients, 20 patients for conventional surgery (group A) and 20 patients for conventional RFA (group B) suffering from primary varicose veins with venous ulcers. The mean age was 29.15 years for group A and 28.45 years for group B; of these, 28 (70%) patients were males.
Results
There was no statistical difference between great saphenous vein (GSV) stripping and RFA in terms of age. Both treatment modalities are equally effective according to improvement and decrease in linical, etiological, anatomical and pathophysiological classification (CEAP) clinical class and venous clinical severity scores. RFA required less time in the operation room in comparison with stripping. Also, RFA needed a stay of a few hours in the hospital, while almost all patients who underwent stripping were discharged the next day.
Conclusion
The present study confirmed that both surgery and RFA are highly effective. Both resulted in a significant decrease in venous ulcer size and improvement in the objective severity of venous disease (venous clinical severity scores and venous disability score). RFA is less time consuming than stripping in terms of operation time and hospital stay. Successful treatment of venous ulcer results in significant improvements of quality-of-life. RFA causes less postprocedure pain than surgery and allows early return to work and normal activities.