A prospective study of venous hemodynamics and quality of live at least five years after varicose vein stripping

PURPOSE: To assess venous hemodynamics and quality of life at lest five years after varicose vein stripping. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study with 39 patients (63 limbs) with primary lower limbs varicose veins. Preoperatively, all patients were subjected to clinical evaluation, duplex ultrassound, air plethysmography (APG), and CIVIQ questionnaire of quality of life. By APG, venous filling index (VFI), ejection fraction (EF), and residual volume fraction (RVF) were determined. CIVIQ addresses four domains in course of 20 questions, including states of physical, social, and psychological well-being, and pain level. Varicose veins were treated by standard venous stripping. At least five years after surgery (77.9 ± 10.9 months), patients were reassessed and had clinical examination, duplex ultrasound, APG, and CIVIQ repeated. No late follow-up data was available for 24 patients. RESULTS: Preoperative and late postoperative VFI levels were similar, whereas EF (P=0.05) and RVF (P=0.01), as hemodynamic variables, significantly improved following surgery. In the late postoperative period, overall CIVIQ scores were significantly lower (P=0.005), as were scores in all four domains: pain (P=0.001), physical (P=0.007), social (P=0.008), and psychological (P= 0.05). CONCLUSION: In a small prospective cohort, improvements in venous hemodynamics and in quality of life of patients submitted to standard varicose veins stripping were maintained five years after the procedure.

Tumor de corpo carotídeo: relato de três casos / Carotid body tumor: report of three cases

Introdução: Os paragangliomas de cabeça e pescoço sãoraros, frequentemente benignos, e ocorrem mais comumentena bifurcação carotídea, onde são referidos como tumores docorpo carotídeo (TCC). Os TCC devem fazer parte do diagnósticodiferencial de massas da região cervical. Após, história clínica eexame físico, a avaliação deve ser realizada com tomografia ouressonância magnética, o que não substitui, contudo, a angiografia,que é o procedimento definitivo para confirmar o diagnóstico.Objetivo: Relatar três casos de TCC tratados cirurgicamente e,discutir as características diagnósticas e terapêuticas. Relato dosCasos: Três pacientes do sexo feminino procuraram atendimentomédico com nódulos cervicais de crescimento progressivo, eindolores. À palpação os tumores eram aderidos verticalmente emóveis horizontalmente. Nos três casos a angiografia confirmoua hipótese de TCC visualizada através da tomografia. Em todosoptou-se pela ressecção cirúrgica do tumor, sem intercorrências.Os três exames histopatológicos confirmaram paraganglioma,sem sinais de malignidade. Comentários Finais: O tratamentocirúrgico, que é a principal forma de tratamento dos TCC, é umdesafio para o cirurgião devido à natureza altamente vasculare o envolvimento de estruturas importantes. Assim, todos oscuidados devem ser tomados para evitar complicações comolesão carotídea, lesão de pares cranianos, acidente vascularencefálica e morte.

Introduction: Paragangliomas of head and neck are rare, oftenbenign, and occur most commonly in the carotid bifurcation,which are referred as carotid body tumors (CBT). CBT should beincluded differential diagnosis of tumors of the cervical region.After, clinical history and physical examination, evaluation shouldbe performed with tomography or resonance magnetic, whichdoes not replace, however, angiography, which is the definitiveprocedure to confirm the diagnosis. Objective: Report threecases of CBT treated surgically, and discuss the diagnostic andtherapeutic features. Case Reports: Three female patientssought medical care with progressive growth of cervical nodes,and painless. On palpation the tumors were fixed vertically andhorizontally movable. In all three cases, angiography confirmedthe hypothesis that CBT visualized through tomography. Alltumors were surgically resected, without complications. The threehistopathological examinations confirmed paraganglioma without evidence of malignancy. Final Comment: Surgical treatment, which is the main form of treatment of CBT, is a challenge for the surgeon due to the area?s highly vascular nature and the involvement of important structures. Thus, every precaution should be taken to avoid complications, such as carotid lesion, cranial nerve injury, stroke and death.

Bovine peritoneum protection role on intestinal adhesions to a vascular graft: a morphological analysis / Rol de protección del peritoneo bovino en la adhesión intestinal a un injerto vascular: un análisis morfológico

The present study aimed to experimentally evaluate the protection role of glycerin preserved bovine peritoneum (BP) against intestinal adhesions to a vascular graft. Experiments were performed on 24 adult rabbits, randomly dived into two groups. All animals were submitted to a vascular graft over the infra-renal aorta and vena cava. Group 1(12 animals ) was submitted to a BP patch on the retroperitoneal opening, between the vascular prosthetic graft and the intestinal loops. Group II (12 animals ) had the retroperitoneal opening sutured. After 7, 14, 28 and 60 days, 3 animals of each group were randomly killed and the retro peritoneum, with or without the BPpatch, was removed for histological analysis. The histological analysis showed that the BP stimulated a moderate to intense inflammatory reaction at the beginning of the experiments and on the 60-day evaluation, the inflammatory reaction was mild, limited to the BP border with its histological structure preserved. In conclusion, the BP is a safe and cheap interposition material to be used between vascular grafts and intestinal loops, presenting a protection role against adhesions between them.

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar experimentalmente el rol protector del peritoneo bovino (PB) preservado en la glicerina en contra de las adherencias intestinales de un injerto vascular. Los experimentos se realizaron en 24 conejos adultos, randomizados aleatoriamente en dos grupos. Todos los animales fueron sometidos a un injerto vascular sobre la aorta infra-renal y la vena cava. Grupo I (12 animales), fue sometido a un parche PB en una apertura retroperitoneal suturada, entre el injerto vascular y el intestino. Grupo II (12 animales) con la apertura retroperitoneal suturada. Después de 7, 14, 28 y 60 días, 3 animales de cada grupo fueron sacrificados al azar y el retro peritoneo, con o sin el parche de PB, se retiró para el análisis histológico. El análisis histológico mostró que la PB estimuló una moderada a intensa reacción inflamatoria al inicio de los experimentos y en la evaluación de 60 días, la reacción inflamatoria fue leve, limitada a los bordes de la PB con su estructura histológica preservada. En conclusión, la PB es una forma segura y barata de material de interposición para ser utilizada entre injertos vasculares e intestinales, presentando un rol de protección contra adherencias entre ellos.