Endovenous Thermal Ablation for Treatment of Symptomatic Saphenous Veins—Does the Body Weight Matter?

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether body weight may affect the effectiveness and safety of endovenous thermal ablation (ETA) for the treatment of symptomatic varicose veins. Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study analyzed the outcomes and patient demographic data with a focus on the body weight of all patients who had ETA of symptomatic varicose veins between September 2017 and October 2020. Results: A total of 1178 treated truncal veins from 636 patients were analyzed. The mean ± standard deviation body mass index (BMI) was 25.5 ± 4.9. In 2.3% of cases, the patients were underweight (BMI < 18.5), 31.0% were overweight (BMI > 25), and 16.6% were obese (BMI > 30). Complete truncal occlusion was observed 1 year post intervention in 97.6–100% and patients were satisfied or very satisfied in 96.2–100% across BMI groups. Pain was low but significantly higher in the patients with obesity 6 weeks post intervention (visual analog scale 0.84 ± 1.49) and a higher infection rate was observed in the patients with obesity (n = 4/132; 3.0%). No significant association was observed between BMI and bleeding or thromboembolic events. Conclusions: Patients with obesity experienced prolonged pain and more infections after ETA, but ETA for varicose vein treatment remains effective and safe, independent of the patient’s BMI.