The endovenous ASVAL method: principles and preliminary results.

PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of the endovenous ambulatory selective varicose vein ablation under local anesthesia (eASVAL) method in a selected group of patients with varicose disease and present the short-term results of one-year ultrasonographic follow-up. METHODS Three hundred and ninety-five consecutive patients with varicose veins who had been treated with endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) were retrospectively reviewed over a period of two years. From this group, 41 patients who were treated using the eASVAL technique and had the great saphenous vein (GSV) preserved were included in the study. These patients had only limited segmental GSV reflux accompanied by a competent terminal valve. The eASVAL technique can be defined as EVLA of the proximal straight segments of the major tributaries connecting the symptomatic varicose veins with the GSV, followed by ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy of the superficial varicose veins themselves. The patients were assessed before and after the treatment by duplex scan findings and clinical assessment scores. RESULTS The GSVs were successfully preserved in all 41 cases, and all patients showed significant clinical improvement using the eASVAL approach (P < 0.001). Segmental reflux was no longer present in 75.3% of patients. The mean diameters of the GSVs were significantly reduced at one-year follow-up (8.5 mm vs. 7.5 mm, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION eASVAL is a feasible and safe procedure in selected patients, with promising results at one-year ultrasonographic follow-up. However, prospective studies are required, comparing this approach with the standard techniques.