Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Chronic Insufficiency of the Saphenous Vein-A Comparative Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: The broad spectrum of chronic venous disease encompasses varicose veins, edema, hyperpigmentation and venous ulcers. Radiofrequency thermal ablation is indicated for the treatment of superficial venous reflux of the lower limb. Our research is a comparative clinical study that aims to identify the most effective and safest therapeutic method in the management of chronic venous insufficiency of the lower limbs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients admitted to the Department of Surgery of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with the clinical diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower limbs, treated by thermal ablation with radiofrequency or by open surgical techniques during the year 2022, were included. RESULTS: A percentage of 50.9% of the patients were treated by the radiofrequency thermal ablation procedure and 49.1% by surgical treatment. More than half of them were hospitalized for 2 days. The duration of hospitalization was significantly longer in patients who had postoperative complications (p < 0.001). The chance of being treated by open surgical treatment for a small saphenous vein is 10.11 times higher than by radiofrequency thermal ablation. CONCLUSION: According to the applied tests, there is no statistical difference between the group treated by radiofrequency thermal ablation and the one surgically treated in terms of sex, age, origin, CEAP clinical stage at hospitalization, clinical diagnosis at hospitalization and affected lower limb.

Diabetic Foot Complications: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Diabetes mellitus is a highly prevalent disease globally and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. As a consequence of multiple pathophysiologic changes which are associated with diabetes, these patients frequently suffer from foot-related disorders: infections, ulcerations, and gangrene. Approximately half of all amputations occur in diabetic individuals, usually as a complication of diabetic foot ulcers. In this retrospective study, we analyzed and characterized a cohort of 69 patients and their diabetes-related foot complications. The main characteristics of our cohort were as follows: older age at diagnosis (mean age 66); higher incidence of diabetes in males; predominantly urban patient population. The most frequent complications of the lower extremity were ulcerations and gangrene. Moreover, in our study, 35% of patients required surgical reintervention, and 27% suffered from complications, while 13% required ICU admission. However, diabetic foot lesions are preventable via simple interventions which pointedly reduce foot amputations. Early identification and the appropriate medical and surgical treatment of the complications associated with diabetic foot disease are important because they still remain common, complex and costly.