Efeitos imediatos do eletrocautério endovascular em varizes de membros inferiores

objective: to determine the importance of the variables: energy intensity (i), power (p) and time of application (t) in the histological changes occurring in lower limb varicose vein submitted to endovascular electrocauterization. method: prospective experimental study conducted in patients undergoing great saphenous vein electrocauterization according to a randomization table - gi: i=0j, p=0w, t=15s; gii: i=300j, p=60w, t=5s; giii: i=600, p=60w, t=10s; giv: i=900j, p=60w, t=15s; gv: i=450j, p=90w, t=5s; gvi: i=900j, p=90w, t=10s; gvii: i=1350w, p=90w, t=15s; gviii: i=600, p=120w, t=5s; gix: i=1200j, p=120w, t=10s; gx: i=1800j, p=120w, t=15s. the fragments were submitted to histopathological examination in order to analyze the depth of tissue changes, classified as follows: group a - endothelium and media; group b - endothelium, media and adventitia. results: the intensity of histological changes - groups a and b - that occur in the fragments were proportional to energy intensity of electrocauterization (p=0.0001), power (p=0.017) and time of application (p=0.0001). the spearman correlation coefficient was more powerful for the variable time of application: 0.42269 (p=0.002) when compared with the variable power of energy (p): 0.3542 (p=0.005). conclusion: time of application of energy is a stronger predictor than the power of energy in determining the depth of the histological effects observed in the wall of the varicose vein submitted to electrocauterization.