Systematic Review of Endovenous Laser Therapy Versus Surgery for the Treatment of Saphenous Varicose Veins

This systematic review compares the safety and efficacy of endovenous laser therapy (ELT) and surgery involving saphenous ligation and stripping as treatments for varicose veins. Systematic searches of medical bibliographic databases, the Internet and lists of references were conducted in August 2007 and April 2008 to identify relevant primary studies. Inclusion of papers was resolved through application of a predetermined protocol. Information on the safety and effectiveness of ELT and surgery was analyzed. Fifty-nine studies were included, with seven studies directly comparing ELT with surgery. Serious adverse events after ELT or surgery were rare. While occurrence rates of some minor adverse events appeared higher after ELT in collated data, comparative studies commonly favored ELT over surgery. Few differences were apparent between treatments with respect to clinical effectiveness outcomes, although long-term follow-up was lacking. Nonclinical effectiveness outcomes generally favored ELT over surgery in the first 2 months after treatment. ELT appears to be at least as safe as surgery. While ELT offers short-term benefits and appears to be as clinically effective as surgery up to 12 months after treatment, clinical trials with a minimum of 3 years of follow-up are required to establish the enduring effectiveness of ELT.