Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 21, 2025

Occlusion of the Great and Small Saphenous Vein Using Copolymeric Glue Based on N-Butyl Cyanoacrylate and Methacryloxy Sulfolane
Published on: December 9, 2022
Compression following treatment of superficial venous incompetence: systematic review
Abduraheem H Mohamed1,2,1, Simran Thadani1, Sundus Hussein Mohamed3
1Academic Vascular Surgical Unit, Hull York Medical School, Hull, UK.
Background:
International guidelines recommend postprocedural compression when treating symptomatic superficial venous incompetence (SVI). This updated review of RCTs investigated the requirement for postprocedural compression and how it can be applied optimally.
Methods:
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's Healthcare Databases Advanced Search engine was used to identify all English-language RCTs of compression following treatment for SVI. Outcomes of interest included postprocedural pain, venous thromboembolism, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and anatomical occlusion.
Results:
A total of 18 studies were included comprising some 2584 treated limbs. Compression was compared with no compression in four studies, nine studies compared different durations of compression, and a further five compared different types of compression. A 1-2-week period of compression was associated with a mean reduction of 11 (95 per cent c.i. 8 to 13) points in pain score on a 100-mm visual analogue scale compared with a shorter duration (P < 0.001). This was associated with improved HRQoL and patient satisfaction. Longer durations of compression did not add further benefit. There was low-quality evidence suggesting that 35-mmHg compression with eccentric thigh compression achieved lower pain scores than lower interface pressures. There were no significant differences in venous thromboembolism rates or technical success in any group, including no compression.
Conclusion:
Postprocedural compression of 1-2 weeks after SVI treatment is associated with reduced pain compared with a shorter duration. The optimal interface pressure and type of compression, and the impact on venous thromboembolism risk, remain to be determined.
Related Concept Videos
Varicose Veins II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Venous Thrombosis IV: Nursing Management
Varicose Veins I: Introduction
Venous Thrombosis I: Introduction

