The Use Of The VEINES-QOL/Sym Questionnaire In Patients Operated For Varicose Veins.

UNLABELLED: Venous insufficiency is a common, chronic disease that affects nearly half of the population in highly developed countries. The vast majority of affected patients suffer from varicose veins (VV). Recently, the priority in medicine has been patient satisfaction with treatment and high quality of life. Therefore, disease-specific questionnaires that measure quality of life have been developed. One of these is VEINES-QOL/Sym with two subscales that assess quality of life and disease symptoms. To date, it has been used to examine patients with venous ulcers and thrombosis. No data are available concerning the use of VEINES to assess patients after VV surgery. The aim of the study was to investigate the change in QOL after VV surgery and verify the usefulness of VEINES in daily phlebological practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study recruited 69 patients (CEAP class C2-C3) in need of surgery for VV. The patients responded 2 hours before surgery and after 3 months. Patients were differentiated into several categories according to CEAP stage, age, sex, BMI, the use/lack of compression therapy, and education level.

RESULTS: The quality of life increased significantly in C3 patients and in patients over the age of 50. Quality of life increased significantly in all patients regardless of education. There were no differences between groups differentiated according to sex, the use or lack of compression therapy, or BMI.

CONCLUSIONS: The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire can be used in daily phlebological practice to assess patients before and after surgical treatment of VV. VEINES-QOL/Sym is reliable and highly valid.