Comparing the Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation Versus Laser Ablation for Chronic Venous Insufficiency in the Lower Extremities: a Vietnamese Report

INTRODUCTION: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a chronic condition, triggered by reflux through the saphenous vein network. AIM: To determine the efficacy of endovenous laser ablation (LA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for CVI treatment in the lower extremities, at the Bach Mai Radiology Center. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board of Bach Mai Hospital. The study recruited 49 people, from August 2016 to April 2018, with recurrent venous insufficiency in the lower extremities and measured 56 ablated veins. RESULTS: In this study, 8 patients (10 veins, with a mean diameter of 5.83 ± 0.96 mm) were treated with RFA, and 41 patients (46 veins, with a mean diameter of 7.96 ± 3.47 mm) were treated with LA. The occlusion rates for LA- and RFA-treated veins were very effective, at 95.7% and 90%, respectively. No significant differences in occlusion rates or clinical improvements were observed between the two ablation methods. On the first day post-treatment, the visual analog score (VAS) value for the LA group was significantly higher than that for the RFA group. Furthermore, ecchymosis, 1 day after treatment, and hyperpigmentation, paresthesia, and numbness, 1 month after treatment, were only observed in the LA group. CONCLUSION: Both LA and RFA were minimally-invasive and safe therapies. No serious complications requiring further interventions were reported and the treatment effectively improved the clinical symptoms of patients. Based on our study, we recommend that RFA should be considered for moderate dilated saphenous vein cases, whereas LA should be indicated for large dilated saphenous vein cases, with or without aneurysm.