Competent and incompetent calf perforators in primary varicose veins: a resistant myth

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 532-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cestmir Recek

The pathophysiology of calf perforators is presented. Bidirectional flow within calf perforators with a prevailing inward, into deep veins oriented component arises during calf pump activity in varicose vein patients, as evidenced by venous pressure measurements, plethysmographic findings, duplex ultrasonography, and electromagnetic flow measurements. Reflux within calf perforators is an inward, not outward, flow; the opinion that the outward flow within calf perforators is a reflux is at odds with the reality. During calf muscle contraction, the pressure in the posterior tibial vein is higher than in the great saphenous vein; it induces the harmless outward flow within calf perforators, which runs further via great saphenous vein in the physiological direction toward the heart. Deep and superficial veins of the lower leg form conjoined vessels, as documented by nearly equal pressure curves registered simultaneously in the posterior tibial and great saphenous veins both in varicose vein patients and in healthy people. Calf perforators do not entail ambulatory venous hypertension or any other hemodynamic disorder, even if enlarged and incompetent; their ligation is needless. The diameter of calf perforators is influenced by the intensity of saphenous reflux; it enlarges with increasing intensity of saphenous reflux and diminishes after the abolition of reflux.

Author(s):  
Cestmir Recek ◽  

The hemodynamic assessment of the bidirectional flow within calf perforators and in the conductive veins in varicose vein disease is presented. The bidirectional streaming within calf perforators is induced by the changing polarity of the systolic and diastolic pressure gradients arising during calf pump activity between the deep veins and the saphenous system of the lower leg, as documented by simultaneous pressure measurements in the posterior tibial vein and the great saphenous vein. This bidirectional flow makes the deep and superficial veins of the lower leg conjoined vessels. The vector of the bidirectional streaming in varicose vein patients is oriented inward, into the deep veins. The enlarged calf perforators are the consequence of the saphenous reflux; after elimination of saphenous reflux the diameter of calf perforators diminishes significantly. Results of venous pressure, plethysmographic and electromagnetic flow measurements rebut the still prevalent opinion that the outward flow within calf perforators is a reflux. There is an up-and-down flow in the conductive veins during calf pump activity with a prevailing systolic centripetal (orthograde) flow in the popliteal/femoral axis and a diastolic centrifugal (retrograde) flow in the incompetent great saphenous vein. The popliteal vein represents actually the drain pipe of the calf muscle pump. The ambulatory venous pressure gradient arising during the diastolic phase of the calf pump activity resembles the diastolic pressure difference between the aorta and the left ventricle.


VASA ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hach-Wunderle ◽  
Hach

It is known from current pathophysiology that disease stages I and II of truncal varicosity of the great saphenous vein do not cause changes in venous pressure on dynamic phlebodynamometry. This is possibly also the case for mild cases of the disease in stage III. In pronounced cases of stage III and all cases of stage IV, however, venous hypertension occurs which triggers the symptoms of secondary deep venous insufficiency and all the complications of chronic venous insufficiency. From these facts the therapeutic consequence is inferred that in stages I and II and perhaps also in very mild cases of stage III disease, it is enough "merely" to remove varicose veins without expecting there to be any other serious complications in the patient’s further life caused by the varicosity. Recurrence rates are not included in this analysis. In marked cases of disease stages III and IV of the great saphenous vein, however, secondary deep venous insufficiency is to be expected sooner or later. The classical operation with saphenofemoral high ligation ("crossectomy") and stripping strictly adheres to the recognized pathophysiologic principles. It also takes into account in the greatest detail aspects of minimally invasive surgery and esthetics. In the past few years, developments have been advanced to further minimize surgical trauma and to replace the stripping maneuver using occlusion of the trunk vein which is left in place. Obliteration of the vessel is subsequently performed via transmission of energy through an inserted catheter. This includes the techniques of radiofrequency ablation and endovenous laser treatment. High ligation is not performed as a matter of principle. In a similar way, sclerotherapy using microfoam is minimally invasive in character. All these procedures may be indicated for disease stages I and II, and with reservations also in mild forms of stage III disease. Perhaps high ligation previously constituted overtreatment in some cases. Targeted studies are still needed to prove whether secondary deep venous insufficiency can be avoided in advanced stages of varicose vein disease without high ligation and thus without exclusion of the whole recirculation circuit.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 547-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Bellam Premnath ◽  
Binu Joy ◽  
Vijayakumar Akondi Raghavendra ◽  
Ajith Toms ◽  
Teena Sleeba

Various treatment methods are available for the treatment of varicose veins, and there has been a recent surge in the usage of cyanoacrylate glue for treating varicose veins. Purpose To investigate the technical possibility, efficiency and safety of cyanoacrylate adhesive embolization and sclerotherapy using commonly available n-butyl cyanoacrylate glue for the treatment of primary varicose veins due to great saphenous vein reflux with or without incompetent perforators. Materials and Methods One hundred forty-five limbs of 124 patients with varicose veins due to great saphenous vein reflux were subjected to cyanoacrylate adhesive embolization and sclerotherapy – adhesive embolization of great saphenous vein in the thigh and perforators using cyanoacrylate followed by sclerotherapy of any residual varicose veins in the leg. Procedural success, venous closure rates and clinical improvement were assessed. Follow-up for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months was obtained. Results Technical success rate was 100%. Saphenous vein closure rate was 96.5% at one year. There was no femoral venous extension of cyanoacrylate in any of the patients. Posterior tibial vein extension of cyanoacrylate was seen in three patients (2.6%) without untoward clinical effect.Significant improvement was found in venous clinical severity score (VCSS) from a baseline mean of 7.98 ± 4.42 to 4.74 ± 3, 1.36 ± 1.65 and 0.79 ± 1.19 at 1, 6 and 12 months’ follow-up. Ulcer healing rate was 100%. Conclusion Cyanoacrylate adhesive embolization and sclerotherapy for the treatment of primary varicose veins is efficacious and can be performed as an outpatient procedure, but has a guarded safety profile due to its propensity to cause deep venous occlusion if not handled carefully.


1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 98-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Zamboni ◽  
C.V. Feo ◽  
M. G. Marcellino ◽  
G. Vasquez ◽  
C. Mari

Objective: Evaluation of the feasibility and utility of haemodynamic correction of primary varicose veins (French acronym: CHIVA). Design: Prospective, single patient group study. Setting: Department of Surgery, University of Ferrara, Italy (teaching hospital). Patients: Fifty-five patients with primary varicose veins and a normal deep venous system (ultrasonographic criteria) were studied. Interventions: Fifty-five haemodynamic corrections by the CHIVA method described by Franceschi were undertaken. Seven patients were treated for short saphenous vein varices (group A) while 48 patients were treated for long saphenous vein varices (group B). Main outcome measures: Clinical: presence of varices and reduction in symptoms. Duplex and continuous-wave Doppler detection of re-entry through the perforators and identification of recurrences or new sites of reflux. Postoperative ambulatory venous pressure and refilling time measurements. Patients were studied for 3 years following surgery. Results: In group A, 57% short saphenous vein occlusions with no re-entry through the gastrocnemius and soleal veins were recorded. In group B the long saphenous vein thrombosis rate was 10%. In this group 15% of the patients showed persistence of reflux instead of re-entry at the perforators. Early recurrences were also observed. Overall CHIVA gave excellent results in 78% of the patients. Statistically significant ambulatory venous pressure and refilling time changes were recorded ( p<0.001). Conclusions: CHIVA treatment is inadvisable for short saphenous vein varices. Long saphenous vein postoperative thrombosis is related to development of recurrences


1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kenneth Booking ◽  
Margot R. Roach

Simultaneous measurements of pressure and volume were made on nine great saphenous veins obtained at autopsies and nine great saphenous veins that were stripped during surgery from patients with primary varicose veins. Similar measurements were also made on six great saphenous veins obtained at autopsy before and after they were held at 100 cm H2O for 4 h. Circumferential tensions were calculated from Laplace's law (tension = pressure × radius).The great saphenous veins from patients with primary varicose veins had significantly greater radii and were more distensible than the normal great saphenous veins. After being held at 100 cm H2O for 4 h, the normal great saphenous veins became less distensible and their radii at distending pressures increased.Due to the great difference in radii, the circumferential tension on a great saphenous vein from a patient with primary varicose veins is much greater than that on a normal great saphenous vein at the same distending pressure. However, the physical stresses exerted on the great saphenous veins during the stripping operations may influence our results in some unknown way.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Bush ◽  
P. Bush ◽  
J. Flanagan ◽  
R. Fritz ◽  
T. Gueldner ◽  
...  

Background. The goal of this retrospective cohort study (REVATA) was to determine the site, source, and contributory factors of varicose vein recurrence after radiofrequency (RF) and laser ablation.Methods. Seven centers enrolled patients into the study over a 1-year period. All patients underwent previous thermal ablation of the great saphenous vein (GSV), small saphenous vein (SSV), or anterior accessory great saphenous vein (AAGSV). From a specific designed study tool, the etiology of recurrence was identified.Results. 2,380 patients were evaluated during this time frame. A total of 164 patients had varicose vein recurrence at a median of 3 years. GSV ablation was the initial treatment in 159 patients (RF: 33, laser: 126, 52 of these patients had either SSV or AAGSV ablation concurrently). Total or partial GSV recanalization occurred in 47 patients. New AAGSV reflux occurred in 40 patients, and new SSV reflux occurred in 24 patients. Perforator pathology was present in 64% of patients.Conclusion. Recurrence of varicose veins occurred at a median of 3 years after procedure. The four most important factors associated with recurrent veins included perforating veins, recanalized GSV, new AAGSV reflux, and new SSV reflux in decreasing frequency. Patients who underwent RF treatment had a statistically higher rate of recanalization than those treated with laser.


Author(s):  
Pier Luigi Antignani ◽  
Giampiero Peruzzi ◽  
Tommaso Spina

Since 1980 using the Doppler method, planned by Bartolo, we have studied several patients by means of the measurement of venous pressures, both in orthostatism and in clinostatism. In a normal subject, in orthostatism the value of average pressure is 60 mmHg in the posterior tibial vein, and 60 mmHg in the long saphenous vein. When there are varicose veins, the average pressure is 90 and 96 mmHg respectively in the deep veins and in the superficial ones. In the case of post-thrombotic syndrome, the average values are 101 and 102 mmHg in the deep and superficial veins, respectively. In clinostatism, the normal values are under 20 mmHg and in subjects with vein thrombosis the value increase to 30 mmHg and more. After more than 30 years we discuss the reliability of the method, the hemodynamic basis and its clinical application in phlebological practice.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Zierau UT

The thrombosis in areas of the superficial truncal varicose veins and cutaneous veins is not a rare complication; it requires drug or surgical therapy if the thrombosis grows in the direction of deep veins. This situation is particularly striking in the case of thromboses of the great saphenous vein GSV and small saphenous vein SSV as well as other saphenous veins and leads to deep vein thrombosis in around 20% of cases. We will report about a case of SSV thrombosis and the catheter-based therapy of thrombosis following the therapy of truncal varicose vein SSV with VenaSeal® in one session.


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