Varicose veins of the legs effect between 20 and 40% of the adult population in the UK. Approximately 100,000 operations performed per year for varicose veins, although it is unknown how many of these are for recurrent varicose veins. Failure to treat varicose veins results in 10 to 20% of patients deteriorating to skin damage or leg ulceration. Recurrence rates following surgery vary and have been reported up to 70% at 10 years. Recurrence causes an increased cost as well as an increase in the patient's healthcare requirements.
The commonest causes of recurrence are reported to be:
* neovascularisation (new vessel growth after treatment)
* missing veins at the initial operation
* perforator vein incompetence
* de novo reflux due to normal deterioration with age
Recent studies have shown that leg varicose veins can be caused by pelvic venous reflux and that pelvic venous reflux is a cause of recurrent varicose veins. Previous published work from our own unit has shown that approximately 20% of women who present with varicose veins of the legs and who have had children previously have pelvic venous reflux on duplex ultrasound. Such pelvic venous reflux contributes to the venous reflux in the legs, causing the varicose veins. Furthermore, a recent retrospective study from our own unit has suggested that failure to treat pelvic venous reflux before treating leg varicose veins is a major cause of recurrent varicose veins in up to a quarter of women.
However, despite this circumstantial evidence, there is no evidence to prove whether the treatment of pelvic venous reflux confers any advantage on these patients in terms of reduction in future recurrence of their varicose veins, following treatment.
The treatment of pelvic venous reflux is currently by coil embolisation of the veins under x-ray control. This procedure clearly has an additional cost over and above that of treating the leg varicose veins alone. Therefore it is essential to know whether the treatment of the pelvic veins in these patients has any effect in reducing future recurrence of leg varicose veins.
To examine the benefits of coil embolisation, female patients presenting with recurrent leg varicose veins with a duplex proven contribution from pelvic venous reflux will be randomised to:
1. transjugular coil embolisation of pelvic veins followed by endovenous treatment of leg recurrent varicose veins
or
2. endovenous treatment of leg recurrent varicose veins alone
The impact of demographic factors, the severity of patient's symptoms(Aberdeen questionnaire, CEAP and VCCS scores)and treatment history will be explored, in addition to the type of treatment received.
Patients will be followed up at six weeks, six months, one year, two years, three years, four years and five years.
Outcome measures will include quality-of-life scoring (CIVIQ), symptom severity measures (Aberdeen questionnaire, CEAP and VCCS scores), patient satisfaction with treatment and clinical examination including clinical photographs and duplex ultrasonography.
The source of any recurrence will be classified through the use of duplex ultrasonography.
