Background: One of the three commercially available cyanoacrylate venous glues used for the treatment of saphenous vein insufficiency is the VariClose® vein sealing system. Previous studies have documented a high rate of occlusion and minimal postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to compare occlusion rates and clinical outcomes of endovenous laser treatment with the VariClose® vein sealing system in the treatment of truncal vein insufficiency.
Patients and methods: Retrospective non-randomized single center study with prospectively collected data comparing endovenous laser treatment and VariClose® procedures between April 2018 and November 2019.
Results: VariClose® was used in 27 patients (30 veins) and endovenous laser treatment in 42 patients (51 veins). The occlusion rate at one, three, and six months were 96%, 85%, and 65% for VariClose® procedures and 100%, 100%, and 97% for endovenous laser treatment procedures (p = 0.01), respectively. Reduction of VCSS scores before treatment and at the last postoperative follow-up visit in the VariClose® group dropped by an average of 1.8 ± 1.6 and in the endovenous laser treatment by an average of 3.3 ± 2.9 (p = 0.01).
Conclusion: VariClose® vein sealing system is inferior to endovenous laser treatment as a treatment option for varicose veins as it has a higher recanalization rate.
Keywords: Cyanoacrylate ablation; VariClose®; endovenous laser; varicose vein; venous insufficiency.