Epidemiological analysis of all varicose vein surgeries over 9 years in Brazil: trends, costs and mortality rate of 1,266,550 cases

• DOI: 10.1101/2025.03.04.25323381
• Publication Date: 2025-03-07T12:29:54Z
• Authors: Alexandre Fioranelli; Bruno Jeronimo Ponte; Carolina Carvalho...; Felipe Soares Oli...; Andressa Cristina...; Marcelo Fiorelli ...; Marcelo Passos Te...; Nelson Wolosker

2AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the total number of surgical procedures for varicose vein treatment performed within the Brazilian Unified Public Health System (SUS) and the Private Health System (PHS) between 2015 and 2023 and to analyze their differences regarding the number of procedures over time, financial investments, and in-hospital mortality rates.Materials and MethodsData on varicose vein surgeries performed between 2015 and 2023 were extracted from the SUS database and the procedural code table provided by the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS), which reports procedures conducted within the PHS in Brazil. The data included geographic region, number of procedures performed, in-hospital mortality (reported only by SUS), and the amount invested by the government and private health insurance providers.ResultsA total of 1,266,550 varicose vein surgeries were performed in both public and supplementary healthcare systems in Brazil between 2015 and 2023, with an average surgery rate per 10,000 inhabitants per year of 3.7 in SUS and 14.8 in PHS. The total financial investment amounted to BRL 1,492,310,372.13, with an overall average cost per procedure of BRL 1,240.92. The mean cost per procedure in SUS was BRL 679.50, whereas in PHS, it was BRL 1,632.60—approximately 3.15 times higher than in SUS. A total of 29 in-hospital deaths were recorded in SUS after varicose vein surgery, representing an overall mortality rate of 0.005%.ConclusionsA total of 1,266,550 surgeries were performed between 2015 and 2023 for chronic venous disease treatment, with a rate of 6.5 procedures per 10,000 inhabitants per year. In the PHS system, the number of surgeries was four times higher than in SUS, considering the number of procedures per 10,000 inhabitants. The total investment in PHS was 3.15 times greater than in SUS, with an estimated average cost per procedure of BRL 1,632.60. The observed in-hospital mortality rate in SUS was 0.005%.