CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 33, No 2, March/April 2022 AFRICA 87 than those with multimodal analgesia in the GA group. Although the postoperative additional analgesic requirements were lower in the EA group, no difference was identified for mobilisation times between the groups. This is because patients were mobilised at the same hour postoperatively due to clinical protocol, without regard to pain scores and additional analgesic requirements. Therefore we recommend individualising and changing the standard approaches to patients in the surgical ward. Similarly, the discharge of patients with epidural anaesthesia was earlier than those with general anaesthesia. This is because these patients had lower postoperative pain scores, fewer additional analgesic requirements, and more stable clinical progress. Patients with general anaesthesia had more additional analgesic requirements because of the standard postoperative mobilisation for every patient. This would have increased the analgesic requirements of patients and caused longer hospitalisation. In another study, authors compared monitored anaesthesia care using ketamine and dexmedetomidine with spinal anaesthesia for varicose vein stripping.16 Patients’ postoperative pain scores were higher and satisfaction scores were lower than those who received spinal anaesthesia for varicose vein stripping. The results of our study similarly revealed that regional anaesthesia methods provided adequate postoperative analgesia. The VAS scores were significantly lower among patients administered postoperative analgesia with epidurals. In parallel with developments experienced in varicose vein surgery, new minimally invasive techniques, defined in the last decade, have become more popular due to less postoperative pain and ensuring early healing.6 However, they still require anaesthesia. Although local anaesthetics and sedation provide sufficient anaesthesia and analgesia for skin incision, they are ineffective for pain linked to the procedure.17 For this reason, the anaesthesia and analgesic methods used in our study retain their value and efficacy. Conclusion Epidural anaesthesia provided adequate anaesthesia with more effective postoperative analgesia compared to patients operated on under general anaesthesia and with multimodal analgesia for postoperative analgesia. In addition, epidural anaesthesia shortened the postoperative hospitalisation of patients, independent of other factors. References 1. Orhurhu V, Chu R, Xie K, et al. Management of lower extremity pain from chronic venous insufficiency: a comprehensive review. Cardiol Ther 2021; 10(1): 111–140. 2. Næs AL, Halsteinli V, Seternes A. Steam ablation versus stripping of great saphenous varicose veins. Tidsskrift Norske Laegeforening 2019; 139(5). 3. Bozoglan O, Mese B, Eroglu E, Ekerbiçer HC, Yasim A. 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