A review of the risk of deep vein thrombosis in surgical and minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains one of the most important clinical complications of varicose vein surgery. Despite the fact that procedures employed in the treatment of varicose veins are commonly classified as carrying a low risk of thromboembolism, this risk may vary significantly across different patients due to the presence of individual risk factors. This is a review of the risk of DVT in surgical and minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins. In retrospective studies addressing open varicose vein surgery, the rate of symptomatic DVT has been estimated at approximately 1%, but in prospective imaging-based studies, the risk of DVT in clinical settings seems to be much higher.

The role of risk factors for DVT as well as their proper evaluation and individual risk stratification are significant. Because of population aging, a higher incidence of thromboembolic complications can be expected, suggesting the need for an individualised approach to risk stratification and appropriate risk-adjusted prophylaxis in patients who are candidates for varicose vein treatment. The implementation of new treatment modalities, in particular thermal and non-thermal ablation, does not eliminate the risk of DVT completely despite their relatively minimally invasive nature. Moreover, these methods can be related to the occurrence of new types of thrombotic complications, such as endovenous heat-induced thrombosis. The limited number of prospective studies regarding thromboembolism prophylaxis in modern phlebological treatment warrants further research on the importance of patient assessment and evaluation of procedure-related risk factors for venous thromboembolism.