Table 1 Key parameters of the model

• treatment episode consists of interventional treatment for every patient and a top-up treatment (additional treatment in case of complications, i.e. vein has not been occluded or obliterated) for a defined proportion of patients (i.e. treated vein is not occluded or obliterated)

• maximum of two treatment episodes: initial interventional treatment for all patients and a second interventional treatment for a given proportion of patients with recurrent varicose veins

• no difference of effectiveness between initial and secondary interventional treatment for each procedure

• top-up treatment is always UGFS and has no influence on recurrence rates

• constant hazard of recurrence

• 6 month delay between onset of clinical recurrence and second treatment episode

• conservative care is given to patients with recurrent varicose veins who do not undergo a second treatment episode as clinical recurrence is not considered clinically meaningful and to all patients with a second recurrence