Comparison of day surgery between varicose veins with and without superficial venous thrombosis below knee: a propensity score-matched analysis

OBJECTIVES: Development of endovenous treatment and sclerotherapy technology makes it feasible for clinicians to treat varicose veins (VV) through day surgery (DS). Superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) of lower extremities is a common complication of VV. This study aimed to investigate whether the existence of SVT below knee affect the safety and efficacy of DS for VV patients. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study. Clinical data of 593 VV patients was retrospectively analyzed. Raw data were matched by the using of propensity score matching model. Operation time, technical failure, postoperative DVT, skin burns, saphenous nerve injury, subcutaneous induration, and bleeding were compared between the groups. Also, we compared VV recurrence, SVT formation, DVT events and the change of VCSS score with 12 months. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients complicated with SVT below knee were matched with 118 patients had VV only. Perioperative and follow-up outcomes were similar in both groups except for the number of incisions (median = 6 [5, 7] VS median = 4 [4, 5], P < 0.001). Both groups experienced a great decrease in VCSS score. CONCLUSION: We systematically compared the clinical outcomes of DS in VV patients. Our results indicate DS is safe and effective for patients with VV, whether accompanied by SVT below the knee. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for this trial is NCT05380895 (retrospectively registered). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-023-03398-2.