Evaluation of the Factors Which Affect the Chosen Form of Management in Primary Varicose Veins

Abstract

Between 2000 and 2001, 296 patients with varicose veins were seen in our clinic. We analyzed the factors which affect the chosen form of management in primary varicose veins. The patients who were offered stripping had a significantly longer duration from the onset of the disease than those offered sclerotherapy with ligation (p<0.05). In sclerotherapy group, no patients showed skin changes, and the half refilling time in plethysmography was significantly longer compared with stripping (p<0.01) and sclerotherapy with ligation groups (p<0.01). These results indicate that the degree of venous insufficiency was mild in sclerotherapy group. In patients who were introduced by other clinics, treatments for varicose veins were carried out more frequently compared with patients without introduction or patients who were introduced by other patients treated previously in our clinic (p<0.05). However, the symptoms were not associated with varicose veins even in 37.5% of patients introduced by other clinics. Careful differential diagnosis is important.