Editor's Choice - Mid-term Outcomes of Endovenous Laser Ablation in Patients with Active and Healed Venous Ulcers: A Follow-up Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the mid-term ulcer recurrence rate in patients with healed or active venous ulcers treated with endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) for incompetent superficial axial veins and to search for possible risk factors for non-healing and recurrence. METHODS: Consecutive patients treated with EVLA because of a healed or active venous ulcer between 2006 and 2013 were identified in the medical records and quality registry and invited to follow-up, including clinical history, study examination, Duplex ultrasound scanning, ankle brachial pressure, photoplethysmography, venous clinical severity score (VCSS), and health related quality of life (HRQoL) measured with EQ5D. Of 228 patients, 170 (195 legs) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Twenty patients were interviewed by phone, 27 were unreachable and 11 were excluded. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify possible risk factors for recurrence. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 41 months (range 14-89 months). The average age was 66.6 years (range 36-87 years). All 86 legs operated on for an active ulcer had this ulcer healed sometime between the operation and the study examination, but thereafter it recurred in 14 patients (16%). In 109 legs operated on for a healed ulcer, the ulcer recurred in 17 legs (16%). Complications such as permanent sensory loss were seen in 16 legs (8%) and deep venous thrombosis in two legs (1%). Thirty legs (15%) were re-treated for superficial venous incompetence (SVI). Reduced ankle mobility was a risk factor for recurrence in both univariate and multivariate analysis (p=.048). CONCLUSIONS: These midterm results demonstrate that endovenous laser ablation of SVI in patients with healed or active venous ulcers achieves good healing and low ulcer recurrence rates, with a low rate of complications and an acceptable re-intervention rate.

Interobserver variability in the assessment of the clinical severity of superficial venous insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: The clinical class C, of the CEAP classification (Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology), is often used when selecting patients for treatment within the national healthcare system. The aim of this study was to test the interobserver reproducibility of C when used in a clinical situation where the decision for reimbursement was made. METHODS: An unselected series of 78 patients (106 limbs) with varicose veins were examined by three independent surgeons with regard to C of CEAP and whether there was a medical indication for treatment. Interobserver reproducibility was calculated with kappa statistic. RESULTS: Total agreement between the three observers for clinical class was obtained in 61% of all cases (κ .55-.68 (95% CI)) and for medical indication in 60% of all cases (κ.35-.57 (95% CI)). CONCLUSION: The reproducibility of C when deciding medical indication for treatment is moderate. This may be due to inherent difficulties in the CEAP, lack of specific training, or the simultaneous assessment of reimbursement that may influence the clinical classification.

Computerized venous strain-gauge plethysmography is a reliable method for measuring venous function.

OBJECTIVES: To achieve reference values for computerized strain-gauge plethysmography (SGP), to assess reproducibility, and to evaluate the influence of different factors such as age, gender, body mass index, and symptomatic post-thrombotic disease on commonly used variables. METHODS: Sixty-three healthy controls and 56 patients with previous deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were included. All participants underwent computerized SGP with evaluation of outflow capacity, as well as evaluation of venous reflux and muscle pump function. RESULTS: All variables were significantly reduced in DVT limbs, both compared with contralateral limbs and with healthy controls. Only two patients had all values within normal ranges (=mean ± 2 SD in controls). Measures of outflow capacity had a coefficient of variation (CV) of 5-6% and exercise-induced volume changes a CV of 10-15%. In symptomatic post-thrombotic limbs half-refilling time was significantly related to presence of edema (R = -0.28, p < .05) and to chronic skin changes (R = -0.58, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that our values in healthy controls can be used as new reference values for computerized venous strain-gauge plethysmography. The computerized design ensures high reproducibility and the results indicate that this is a very useful and sensitive test for functional quantitative assessment of patients with venous disease.

Late follow-up of a randomized trial of routine duplex imaging before varicose vein surgery.

BACKGROUND: Routine preoperative duplex examination led to an improvement in results 2 years after surgery for primary varicose veins. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of preoperative duplex imaging after 7 years, in relation to other risk factors for varicose vein recurrence. METHODS: Patients with primary varicose veins were randomized to operation with (group 1), or without (group 2) preoperative duplex imaging. The same patients were invited to attend follow-up with interview, clinical examination and duplex imaging. Quality of life (QoL) was measured with the Short Form 36 questionnaire. RESULTS: Some 293 patients (343 legs) were included initially; after 7 years 227 were interviewed, or their records reviewed: 114 in group 1 and 113 in group 2. One hundred and ninety-four legs (95 in group 1 and 99 in group 2) were examined clinically and with duplex imaging. Incompetence was seen at the saphenofemoral junction and/or saphenopopliteal junction in 14 per cent of legs in group 1 and 46 per cent in group 2 (P < 0.001). QoL was similar in both groups. After a mean follow-up of 7 years (and including patients who underwent surgery after the review), 15 legs in group 1 needed reoperation and 38 in group 2 (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Routine preoperative duplex imaging improved the results of surgery for primary varicose veins for at least 7 years.

Randomized clinical trial of routine preoperative duplex imaging before varicose vein surgery.

BACKGROUND: Duplex imaging is used increasingly for preoperative evaluation of varicose veins, but its value in terms of the long-term results of surgery is not clear. METHODS: Patients with primary varicose veins were randomized to operation with or without preoperative duplex imaging. Reoperation rates, clinical and duplex findings were compared at 2 months and 2 years after surgery. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-three patients (343 legs) had varicose vein surgery after duplex imaging (group 1; 166 legs) or no imaging (group 2; 177 legs). In 44 legs (26.5 per cent), duplex examination suggested a different surgical procedure than had been considered on clinical grounds; the procedure was changed accordingly for 29 legs. At 2 months, incompetence was detected at the saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction (or both) in 14 legs (8.8 per cent) in group 1 and in 44 legs (26.5 per cent) in group 2 (P < 0.001). At 2 years, two legs (1.4 per cent) had undergone or were awaiting reoperation in group 1, and 14 legs (9.5 per cent) in group 2 (P = 0.002). In the remainder, major incompetence was found in 19 legs (15.0 per cent) in group 1 and in 53 (41.1 per cent) in group 2 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Routine preoperative duplex examination led to an improvement in results 2 years after surgery for patients with primary varicose veins.

Recurrent varicose veins: incidence, risk factors and groin anatomy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the recurrence rate after sapheno-femoral junction (SFJ) ligation and great saphenous vein (GSV) stripping for varicose veins (VV), to evaluate risk factors for recurrence and to classify the anatomy of the recurrence in the groin. Design. Clinical follow-up study. METHODS: Eighty-nine consecutive patients with 100 operated legs were re-examined clinically and with duplex after 6-10 years. Fourteen groins were re-explored, 13 after varicography. The anatomy in the groin was classified according to the Edinburgh system. The original medical records were examined to check for risk factors which could lead to a recurrence. RESULTS: Fifty-seven legs had incompetent veins in the groin according to duplex. In 54 of them, it was possible to define whether the incompetent veins emanated from the former SFJ. Varicography and operative findings correlated well to duplex. The main difficulty was to distinguish neovascularization from residual branches. No significant risk factor for recurrence was found in the medical records. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrence of VV after SFJ ligation is common irrespective of perioperative difficulties or the surgeon's experience. The anatomy of recurrence in the groin is difficult to classify according to the Edinburgh system mainly because neovascularization is difficult to verify.

Coagulation and fibrinolysis in chronic venous insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Varicose veins (VV) are common, but only some patients will develop chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) with skin changes or venous ulcer. The pathophysiology of venous ulcer development is complex, and may involve abnormalities in coagulation, fibrinolysis and proinflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this study was to correlate plasma markers within these systems and skin pathology. METHOD: A group of twenty consecutive patients with active or recent venous ulcer were matched for sex and age with further three groups of individuals i.e. controls and patients with VV with and without skin changes respectively. Blood samples were analysed for hemoglobin (HB), total platelet count (TPC), C-reactive protein (CRP), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin complex (PT), fibrinogen, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), D-dimer, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), prothrombin fragments 1 and 2 (F1 + 2), and thrombin antithrombin III complex (TAT). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was an increase of systemic levels of PAI-1 activity and tPA with progressive skin pathology in patients with CVI, and in the group with active ulcer there was an elevation of F1 + 2. Those findings could reflect a defect fibrinolysis, a thrombotic potential or a damaged endothelium.

Perforated peptic ulcer: long-term results after simple closure in the elderly.

The relative incidence of peptic ulcer perforation in the elderly is rising, and the optimal surgical treatment has yet to be defined. To evaluate the long-term result after simple closure a follow-up study was initiated at a Swedish community hospital. During 1983-1992 a total of 151 patients were admitted with perforated peptic ulcer; 92 were elderly (i.e., 70 years or older), 63 of whom were operated with simple closure. Mortality at 30 days was 27% (17/63) and the total in-hospital mortality 30% (19/63). After a mean follow-up of 79 months, 14 of the 44 survivors are still alive. So far only three of the survivors have required additional hospitalization for complications of peptic ulcer disease. Because the rate of serious recurrences is low (14%, 6/44), it is concluded that simple closure is an adequate surgical treatment for peptic ulcer perforation in the elderly.

Vitamin E status in newborn lambs with special reference to the effect of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation in late gestation.

Pregnant ewes were supplemented with dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, either as a single intramuscular dose (500 mg two weeks before lambing) or perorally (150 mg daily during 3-4 weeks before lambing). Ewes without such a supplementation were controls. The vitamin E supplemented ewes had nearly twice as high vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) concentrations as the unsupplemented control ewes at lambing both in serum and in colostrum. The vitamin E concentration in colostrum was 5-11 higher than in milk 1 week after lambing. Both supplementations somewhat increased the vitamin E serum concentration of the newborn lambs, but the increase was negligible in comparison with the effect produced by the consumption of colostrum. All lambs had very low serum concentrations at birth. The lambs from the supplemented ewes had significantly higher serum values than the control lambs 24 h after birth. The ewes had somewhat higher selenium status at birth than their offsprings when evaluated by glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the erythrocytes. It seems reasonable that nutritional muscular degeneration may arise in newborn lambs with a normal selenium status if their vitamin E status is critical, either because of an inadequate consumption of colostrum or because of a vitamin E deficient diet during pregnancy with a low vitamin concentration of colostrum as a consequence.