title: External support valvuloplasty in the treatment of chronic deep vein incompetence of the legs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the benefit from external support valvuloplasty in chronic deep vein incompetence of the legs.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  twenty patients 7 primary and 13 secondary (post-thrombotic), with severely symptomatic deep vein incompetence (DVI) of the legs. Preoperative duplex sonography, videophlebography with ambulatory venous pressure measurement. Surgical treatment with external support valvuloplasty with Venocuff (Vaso Products Inc., Sommer-ville, NJ, USA). Postoperative clinical follow-up, duplex and pressure measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In primary DVI, symptoms disappeared in all 7 patients, and in secondary DVI in 7 of 13 patients. All reconstructions were competent in primary DVI and in 10 out of 13 in secondary DVI. The follow-up period averaged 19 (6-32) months in primary DVI and 18 (5-31) months in secondary DVI patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In severely symptomatic deep vein incompetence of the legs external support valvuloplasty is effective, especially in primary DVI. In secondary DVI the competence of the reconstructions was 78% and the symptoms disappeared in 52%. This means that external valvuloplasty is indicated even in post-thrombotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular and Renal Diseases, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akesson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Risberg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Björgell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000601:surgery*