Trial reportThe British journal of surgery2016
Randomized clinical trial comparing surgery, endovenous laser ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for the treatment of great saphenous varicose veins.
Trial report in The British journal of surgery, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 109 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of polidocanol endovenous microfoam (Varithena) to physician-compounded foam in sclerotherapy treatment of truncal varicosities: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of endovenous ablation techniques and surgery for great saphenous vein incompetence: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Scientific reports · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of foam sclerotherapy for great saphenous vein reflux: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- A network meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of thermal and nonthermal endovenous ablation treatments.Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders · 2023Pooled it
- Injection sclerotherapy for varicose veins.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Sclerotherapy in the treatment of varicose veins : S2k guideline of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Phlebologie (DGP) in cooperation with the following societies: DDG, DGA, DGG, BVP.Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und verwandte Gebiete · 2021Guideline
- Interventions for great saphenous vein incompetence.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Interventions for great saphenous vein reflux: network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.The British journal of surgery · 2021Pooled it
- [Guidelines for sclerotherapy of varicose veins : S2k guideline of the German Society of Phlebology (DGP) in cooperation with the following professional associations: DDG, DGA, DDG, BVP. German Version].Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und verwandte Gebiete · 2021Guideline
- Comparison of endovenous laser treatment and high ligation in treatment of limb varicosity: A meta-analysis.International wound journal · 2019Pooled it
- Randomised controlled study to compare radiofrequency ablation with minimally invasive ultrasound-guided non-flush ligation and stripping of great saphenous vein in the treatment of varicose veins.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2020Trial
- [Diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins].Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026Review
- Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy vs. open surgical ligation for incompetent perforator veins: a retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Long-term efficacy of sclerosing foam combined with endovenous laser treatment for varicose veins of the lower extremities.Frontiers in surgery · 2025Article
- A state-of-the-art review of quality-of-life assessment in venous disease.Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders · 2024Review
- Laser ablation on vascular diseases: mechanisms and influencing factors.Lasers in medical science · 2023Review
- Review
- Endovenous laser ablation versus conventional surgery (ligation and stripping) for primary great saphenous varicose vein: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2023Review
- Impact of Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy for Pain Control in Patients with Chronic Venous Disease and Great Saphenous Vein Reflux.The International journal of angiology : official publication of the International College of Angiology, Inc · 2023Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEndovenous ablation techniques and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) have largely replaced open surgery for treatment of great saphenous varicose veins. This was a randomized trial to compare the effect of surgery, endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) (with phlebectomies) and UGFS on quality of life and the occlusion rate of the great saphenous vein (GSV) 12 months after surgery.
methodsPatients with symptomatic, uncomplicated varicose veins (CEAP class C2-C4) were examined at baseline, 1 month and 1 year. Before discharge and at 1 week, patients reported a pain score on a visual analogue scale. Preoperative and 1-year assessments included duplex ultrasound imaging and the Aberdeen Varicose Vein Severity Score (AVVSS).
resultsThe study included 214 patients: 65 had surgery, 73 had EVLA and 76 had UGFS. At 1 year, the GSV was occluded or absent in 59 (97 per cent) of 61 patients after surgery, 71 (97 per cent) of 73 after EVLA and 37 (51 per cent) of 72 after UGFS (P < 0·001). The AVVSS improved significantly in comparison with preoperative values in all groups, with no significant differences between them. Perioperative pain was significantly reduced and sick leave shorter after UGFS (mean 1 day) than after EVLA (8 days) and surgery (12 days).
conclusionIn comparison with open surgery and EVLA, UGFS resulted in equivalent improvement in quality of life but significantly higher residual GSV reflux at 12-month follow-up.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.