Day-case re-do varicose vein surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether re-do varicose vein surgery as a day case is feasible and safe. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively on 70 consecutive patients (77 legs) undergoing re-do sapheno-femoral or sapheno-popliteal ligation by consultant surgeons as day cases. Follow-up was by structured telephone interview. RESULTS: The 70 patients comprised 53 females and 17 males. Median age and body mass index were 47.5 years and 27, respectively. All patients were ASA Grade I or II. Median operating time was 75 min (range 25-140). Of the 70 patients intended to be treated as day cases, four (5.7%) were admitted overnight. There were no were re-admissions nor did any patient develop deep vein thrombosis. Eleven per cent developed wound infection and 4% transient lymphatic leakage. Overall, 91% of patients were pleased with the initial surgical result but this decreased to 81% in the longer term. Eighty-nine per cent would have their surgery performed again as a day case. CONCLUSION: Re-do sapheno-femoral or sapheno-popliteal can be performed safely as a day case.

Compartment syndrome following short saphenous varicose vein surgery: a case report.

Compartment syndrome is an infrequent but serious complication which can occur post-operatively. In our case, a patient developed severe left calf pain following short saphenous vein surgery. She underwent emergency fasciotomy and made an excellent recovery. Informed consent for varicose vein surgery should probably include the possibility of developing compartment syndrome.

Pre-operative diagnosis of an unusual complication of abdominal aortic aneurysm on multidetector computed tomography: a case report.

Spontaneous fistulation of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) into the inferior vena cava (IVC) is an unusual and infrequently encountered complication in clinical practice. In the majority of cases, it is a diagnosis made on the operating table, during surgical repair of AAA. We report a patient with an aortocaval fistula diagnosed preoperatively on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Preoperative diagnosis of this rare complication is important as it allows appropriate anaesthetic and surgical planning thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.