USF-LVHN SELECT
General and Disease-Specific Quality-of-Life Improvement Following Superficial Venous Insufficiency Treatment.
Publication/Presentation Date
10-22-2025
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Most of the publications on the treatment of superficial venous insufficiency (SVI) have focused on technical and anatomic success. There are relatively few studies assessing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following SVI treatment. However, patients and payers are increasingly interested in such outcomes in addition to technical success. We examined PROs after treatment with Endovenous Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation (RFA) and Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy (UGFS) for patients with SVI.
METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of 545 consecutive patients with SVI treated between 2019 and 2024. Patient demographics, risk factors, Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification, Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), and PROs were collected. The cohort was 395 female (73%) and 150 male (28%), with a median age of 62 years (mean 60 ± 14) and median BMI of 27 kg/m
RESULTS: Most patients were women (72%), with an average age of 60 ± 14 years and an average BMI of 28 ± 7. The average duration of symptoms before treatment was greater than one year and the most common presenting symptoms included aches/pains, heaviness/tiredness, and cramping. Prior pregnancy was the most prominent risk factor for SVI, observed in 66% of female patients All measures of HASTI and SF-6D showed improvements in symptom scores. VCSS also improved significantly, from 6.0 ± 2.9 to 3.9 ± 2.6 (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of SVI patients with RFA followed by UGFS significantly improves both disease-specific (HASTI) and general (SF-6D) quality-of-life measures in addition to a decrease in VCSS.
First Page
102347
Last Page
102347
ISSN
2213-3348
Published In/Presented At
Cappellano, K., Calzon, M., Weldon, S., Azizi, E., Lee, J. J., Inampudi, S., Blebea, J., & Pittman, C. (2025). General and Disease-Specific Quality-of-Life Improvement Following Superficial Venous Insufficiency Treatment. Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders, 102347. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvsv.2025.102347
Disciplines
Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
41135796
Department(s)
USF-LVHN SELECT Program, USF-LVHN SELECT Program Students
Document Type
Article