title: Cryoperforator surgery: a new treatment of incompetent perforating veins.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of cryoperforator surgery in the treatment of incompetent perforating veins. Fifteen patients with C2-C4 varicose disease (according to the Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology classification) were enrolled in this study. Under local anesthesia, incompetent perforating veins were treated with a duplex-guided cryoprobe. Duplex scans were performed 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Fifteen patients with 28 incompetent perforating veins were treated with cryoperforator surgery. Distribution of the incompetent perforating veins was as follows: posterior tibial perforator, 12; paratibial perforator, 11; intergemellar perforator, 1; lateral leg perforator, 4 (range = 1-5 incompetent perforating veins per patient). Follow-up showed successful treatment of 12 incompetent perforating veins (43%). This study showed that cryoperforator surgery is feasible for treatment of incompetent perforating veins. Higher success rates could be obtained with our modified diamond-dust coated cryoprobe. Major advantages are the treatment in an outpatient setting and the possibility of treating all incompetent perforating veins, intraluminal or extraluminal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. klem@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Taco Marius Adrianus Leonardus
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Klem
authors.forename: Cornelis Hendrikus Anna
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wittens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*