Radiofrequency Ablation of Incompetent Short Saphenous Vein: a Case Series

Short saphenous vein (SSV) incompetence proved to be an obstacle in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) treatment in the endovascular era. In our study, we used to prove that radiofrequency ablation could be done safely with low incidence of side effects. In this prospective case series study, 34 patients suffered from leg varicosity (either primary or recurrent) attended to outpatient clinic and were referred for duplex scan to ensure SSV incompetency. SSV ablation was done using radiofrequency catheter. Operative findings were recorded, and patients were followed for up to 12 months post-surgical procedure to look for complications or recurrences. Successful obliteration of short saphenous vein was done in 52 legs with mean diameter 4.9 SD 1.0 mm and operative time 37.5 SD 13.7 min, the incidence of sural nerve paresthesia was 9%, and no reported cases with DVT. On 12-month follow-up, VCSS reduced significantly from 13 (IQR 12) to 3 (IQR 6) and AVVQ reduced significantly from 27.1 (IQR 18.8) to 5.6 (IQR 7.2); the rate of short saphenous vein obliteration was 98.1% at 6 months and 94.2% at 12 months. Radiofrequency ablation can be recommended for patients with incompetent SSV.