title: Saphenous nerve injury after endovenous laser ablation of incompetent greater saphenous vein: An electroneuromyography study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether endovenous laser ablation of incompetent greater saphenous vein causes a detectable impairment in saphenous nerve conduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients (mean age: 44.78 ± 8.6, male/female ratio: 16/19) who were operated on for incompetent greater saphenous veins, underwent electroneuromyography before and two weeks after the operation. Dysesthesia was questioned as to whether having unpleasant abnormal sensation after the operation. Positive electroneuromyography findings for saphenous nerve injury included a sensory nerve action potential amplitude <2 µV or a nerve conduction velocity <48.0 m/s or a latency onset >5.0 ms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four patients were available at two-week follow-up. All patients achieved complete proximal closure. Three patients (8.8%) had dysesthesia at two weeks. Mean electroneuromyography values were not significantly different between preoperative and postoperative period. Postoperatively, none of the patients had abnormal sensory nerve action potential or latency onset, whereas nerve conduction velocity decreased below the lower limit in two patients. These two patients were not among those having dysesthesia and they had no other complaints.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Injury to saphenous nerve seems not likely during endovenous laser ablation of incompetent greater saphenous veins, as evidenced by normal electroneuromyography values found after the operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hitit University, Corum Education and Research Hospital, Corum, Turkey drlabarna@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hitit University, Corum Education and Research Hospital, Corum, Turkey.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Delikan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hitit University, Corum Education and Research Hospital, Corum, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aksoy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016342:Angioplasty, Laser / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Endovenous laser treatment; electroneuromyography; nerve injury; saphenous nerve