The clinical importance of air plethysmography in the assessment of chronic venous disease / Importância clínica da pletismografia a ar na avaliação da doença venosa crônica

Abstract Air plethysmography is a non-invasive test that can quantify venous reflux and obstruction by measuring volume changes in the leg. Its findings correlate with clinical and hemodynamic measures. It can quantitatively assess several components of venous hemodynamics: valvular reflux, calf muscle pump function, and venous obstruction. Although clinical uses of air plethysmography have been validated, it is used almost exclusively for medical research. Air plethysmography can be used to assess chronic venous disease, to evaluate improvement after venous surgery, to diagnose acute and past episodes of deep venous thrombosis, to evaluate compression stocking therapy, to study the physiological implications of high-heeled shoes in healthy women, and even to evaluate the probability of ulcer healing.

Resumo A pletismografia a ar é um método não invasivo que pode quantificar refluxo e obstrução venosa medindo alterações no volume das pernas. Seus achados se correlacionam com parâmetros clínicos e hemodinâmicos. Ela pode fornecer informações quantitativas dos diferentes componentes da hemodinâmica venosa: refluxo valvular, função de bomba muscular da panturrilha e obstrução venosa. Apesar de ter seu uso clínico validado, a pletismografia a ar é usada quase que exclusivamente para pesquisa. Ela pode ser usada para avaliar a doença venosa crônica, mensurar o ganho hemodinâmico após cirurgia venosa, diagnosticar trombose venosa profunda atual ou prévia, avaliar os efeitos da elastocompressão, estudar as implicações fisiológicas do uso de salto alto em mulheres e também avaliar a probabilidade de cura de uma úlcera venosa.

Pregnancy Related Venous Hemodynamic Changes in Lower Extremity: an Air-plethysmography Study / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to research the physiologic effects of pregnancy on lower extremity venous hemodynamics. METHODS: Forty-eight limbs of twenty four women in third trimester were studied with air plethysmography (APG) and duplex scan. The 48 limbs were divided into two groups three separate times using three sets of criteria, parity, weight gain and symptoms (leg swelling, varicose, telangiectasia). Each set of two groups was then compared by hemodynamic results (venous filling index (VFI), ejection fraction (EF), ambulatory venous pressure (AVP)) of APG. Nine of them had follow up test after delivery. RESULTS: None of twenty four women had thrombosis or reflux in duplex scan evaluation. Forty two limbs (87.5%) in VFI testing, thirty nine limbs (81.2%) in EF testing and forty one limbs (85.4%) in AVP testing showed normal value. There were no significant statistical differences in hemodynamic parameter between any of the two groups divided by parity or weight gain or symptoms. CONCLUSION: Although the belief that the mechanical effects of the gravid uterus plays important role in causing venous disease of pregnant women, over eighty percent of pregnant women showed normal results in lower extremity venous hemodynmics study with APG. According to this studies parity, weight gain, venous symptoms do not affect hemodynamic conditions. Hormonal or other systemic factors must play a significant role in the development of venous disease.

Venous Hemodynamic Changes in the Surgical Treatment of Primary Varicose Vein of the Lower Limbs

Venous hemodynamic changes after the surgery of primary varicose veins were evaluated. (Materials and methods) We retrospectively analyzed 1, 211 patients (1, 407 limbs) who underwent surgery for primary varicose veins from 1994 to 2002. The venous hemodynamics were evaluated using air- plethysmography (APG) preoperatively and one month postoperatively in the viewpoints of ambulatory venous pressure (AVP), venous volume (VV), venous filling index (VFI), and ejection fraction (EF). (Results) The surgical modalities included 958 cases of greater saphenous vein high ligation (GSV HL) and stripping with varicosectomy (VS), 222 cases of short saphenous vein (SSV) HL and VS, 143 cases of external banding valvuloplasty of GSV and VS, and 44 cases using VNUS (R) and VS. The reduction rate of VV was 20.9 +/- 14.1% in the GSV stripping group, 12.0 +/-14.7% in the GSV valvuloplasty group, 18.3 +/-16.1% in the VNUS (R) group, and 20.6 +/-15.9% in the SSV group. The reduction rate of VFI was 63.6 +/-20.7% in the GSV stripping group, 38.8 +/-40.9% in the GSV valvuloplasty group, 60.1 +/-23.9% in the VNUS (R) group, and 37.6 +/-30.2% in the SSV group. The increasing rate of EF was 25.0 +/-28.2% in the GSV stripping group, 21.0 +/-30.0% in the GSV valvuloplasty group, 29.4 +/-31.9% in the VNUS (R) group, and 30.0 +/-36.5% in the SSV group. The reduction rate of AVP was 25.4 +/-32.2% in the GSV stripping group, -6.1 +/-58.1% in the GSV valvuloplasty group, 28.4 +/-38.5% in the VNUS (R) group, and 14.1 +/-49.0% in the SSV group. All of the patients showed improvements in venous hemodynamics by showing a decrease in VV, VFI, AVP, and an increase in EF. However, there was no difference in the change of venous hemodynamics according to the type of surgery.

Analysis of the Venous Hemodynamic Changes in the Primary Varicose Vein of the Lower Limbs

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes of venous hemodynamics after the treatment of the primary varicose vein of the lower limbs. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 493 lower limbs (221 right and 272 left, 157 male and 336 female) who underwent surgery for the primary varicose veins from September 1994 to May 1999. All patients were evaluated using air-plethysmography (APG) pre-and post-operatively. RESULTS: The prevalent age was 40 to 49-year-old and the male to female ratio was 1:2. Presumed etiological factors included occupations requiring long periods of standing in 94 cases, and pregnancy in 188 female cases. The average duration of illness was 12.9+/-8.2 years. 232 limbs were treated with a method of the greater saphenous vein high ligation (GSV HL) and above knee (AK) stripping with varicosectomy (VS), 38 limbs with GSV HL and total stripping and VS, 101 with short saphenous vein HL and VS, 100 with external banding valvuloplasty of GSV and VS, 5 with external banding valvuloplasty of GSV only, 10 with Linton's operation, 6 with GSV branch ligation and VS, and sclerotherapy in 9. The reduction rate of venous volume (VV) were 13.9+/-6.6 % in GSV stripping group and 20.4+/-18.2% in GSV valvuloplasty group. The reduction rate of venous filling index (VFI) were 53.6+/-31.0% in GSV stripping group and 58.9+/-33.7% in GSV valvuloplasty group. The increasing rate of ejection fraction (EF) were 26.9+/-41.1% in GSV stripping group and 21.1+/- 32.2% in GSV valvuloplasty group. The reduction rate of ambulatory venous pressure (AVP) were 4.4+/-128% in GSV stripping group and 22.7+/-73.3% in GSV valvuloplasty group. CONCLUSION: In patients with primary varicose vein of the lower limbs, APG could be a useful method for the documentation of hemodynamic improvement by showing decrease in VV, VFI, AVP and increase in EF.