Impact of endovenous radiofrequency ablation on restless legs syndrome severity and sleep quality in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

Abstract

ObjectiveChronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins have been associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS), impaired sleep quality, and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on RLS severity, daytime sleepiness, and sleep quality in patients with symptomatic venous insufficiency.MethodologyThis pre-post intervention study included 160 consecutive patients with venous insufficiency who underwent endovenous RFA between January 2022 and January 2023. Restless legs syndrome severity, daytime sleepiness, and sleep quality were assessed before and within 3 months after surgery using the Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (RLSS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Changes in clinical scores following treatment were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 48.7 ± 10.6 years, and 68.1% were female. Following RFA, RLSS scores decreased significantly from a median of 21 to 7 (p < 0.001), indicating a marked reduction in RLS severity. Sleep quality also improved significantly, with PSQI scores decreasing from a median of 6 to 4 (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients with poor sleep quality declined from 68.8% to 41.9% (p < 0.001). Although ESS scores decreased significantly (p < 0.001), the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness did not change significantly after treatment (7.5% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.317).ConclusionEndovenous radiofrequency ablation was associated with significant improvements in restless legs syndrome symptoms and sleep quality in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. These findings suggest that treatment of venous insufficiency may contribute to better sleep-related outcomes and should be considered in patients presenting with both venous symptoms and sleep disturbances.