Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders最新文献

Background: The deep femoral vein generally has individual differences in origin, course, tributary, caliber, and quantity. However, systematic research on deep femoral vein variations is still insufficient. Given this, this study employed anatomical observation to reveal the types and ratios of variations in the deep femoral vein and its tributaries.

Method: This study selected 63 gross specimens of intact lower extremities and dissected their 126 lower limbs layer by layer to explore variations in the deep femoral vein and its tributaries.

Result: A total of 15 lower limbs exhibit variations in the deep femoral vein and its tributaries, of which 93% were unilateral. No correlation is found between the mutations and gender. They can be generally classified into three types: variations in the small saphenous vein branch of the deep femoral vein (7.14%); variations in the popliteal vein branch of the deep femoral vein (3.96%); and multiple deep femoral vein variations (0.79%).

Conclusion: Variations in the deep femoral vein and its tributaries are not rare and can achieve a variation rate of 11.9%. Moreover, 93% of the variations involve tributaries of the deep femoral vein, among which 60% occur in the small saphenous vein branch, and approximately 30% are related to the popliteal vein branch. The variation diversity can lay a theoretical foundation for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objectives: Advanced pneumatic compression devices (APCDs) have been shown to be effective in treatment of lower extremity lymphedema in the home setting. However, adherence to self-care has been poor, and APCD's require patients to remain immobile during treatment. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel non-pneumatic compression device (NPCD) for treating lower extremity lymphedema vs and APCD.

Methods: A randomized, crossover head-to-head study was performed at nine sites in 2023. Patients were randomized to either the NPCD or a commercially available APCD. Patients used the randomly assigned initial device for 28 days with a 4-week washout period before a comparable 28-day use of the second device.

Results: A total of 71 patients (108 affected limbs) with lower extremity lymphedema were analyzed. Compared with the APCD, the NPCD was associated with a greater mean reduction in limb edema volume (a mean limb volume reduction of 369.9 (± 68.19) mL p<0.05 vs 83.1 (± 67.99 mL) p<0.05). Significant improvement in Quality of Life was achieved for NPCD and but not for APCD treatment (score improvement of 1.01 (± 0.23) (p<0.05) for NPCD vs 0.17 (± 0.18) (p>0.05) for APCD). Patients reported greater adherence (81% vs 56%, p<0.001) and satisfaction with the NPCD (78% vs 22%) compared to APCD. No device related adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: The novel NPCD is an effective treatment for reducing limb volume in patients with lower extremity lymphedema. The NPCD was more effective than an APCD and resulted in superior limb volume reduction, greater improved QoL, adherence, mobility, and patient satisfaction.

Objective: Hand arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are extremely difficult to manage for their functional importance and cosmetic disfiguration. A single center retrospective study was conducted to identify long-term outcomes of multidisciplinary team management of hand AVM.

Methods: Institutional review board approved this retrospective study. Multidisciplinary vascular anomalies center data was reviewed from 1995 to 2023. Patient's demographics, Schobinger's AVM stage, sclerotherapy details, surgical history, and adverse events after sclerotherapy were reviewed.

Results: A total of 150 hand AVM patients visited our hospital from 1995 to 2023, with a mean age of 33 years (range, 1-75 years) and 91 females. Forty-four patients were Schobinger stage II and 106 were stage III. Sclerotherapy was performed on 101 patients (67%) with 320 sessions. Angiographic devascularization rates after sclerotherapy were: 16 with 100%, 30 with over 90%, 34 with 50-90%, 15 with 0-50%, and six showed aggravation. Sclerotherapy-related adverse events occurred in 123 of 320 sessions (39%), with 112 minor and 11 major events. Fifteen patients (15%) eventually underwent amputation surgery a mean of 1618 days after sclerotherapy for necrosis (n=3) and delayed complications (n=12). Thirteen patients (9%) underwent primary surgical amputation for ulcers or bleeding (all Schobinger stage III). Thirty-six patients (24%) were followed without any procedure.

Conclusions: Multidisciplinary management of hand AVMs shows varied long-term outcomes. While sclerotherapy is effective for many patients, it carries a significant risk of adverse events. The necessity for amputation in some cases highlights the severity of advanced AVMs and the need for individualized treatment approaches.

Introduction: Several studies have shown that, in the short term, treatment outcomes following endothermal ablation of varicose veins without the prescription of post procedural compression are not inferior to outcomes when compression is routinely prescribed. This follow-up to our randomised controlled trial (RCT) published in 2020 explores whether the non-inferiority persists into the medium to long term.

Methods: All 94 patients from the RCT were recalled at 27 months after their initial radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedure. The procedural details, randomisation, inclusion and exclusion criteria were described in the original RCT paper. Consent was obtained for further venous Duplex ultrasound scan at 27 to 61 months after the initial procedure. The successful target vein closure at this juncture represented our primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include disease severity measured using the Aberdeen Varicose Vein Severity Score (AVSS) and the Revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (RVCSS), post-procedural pain measured using Likert scale, and number of days taken for patients to return to work or normal activities.

Results: 31 out of 48 patients (64.6%) in the compression group and 29 out of 46 patients (63%) in the no compression group were evaluated. The mean duration of follow-up was 43 and 42 months in the compression and no compression group, respectively. The target vein occlusion rate evaluated at this longer-term follow up were 80.7% and 79.3% in the compression and no compression groups, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = .37). Secondary outcomes of quality of life and disease severity measured using AVSS and RVCSS showed no significant difference between the two groups (post-procedural AVSS mean score 5.2 in the compression group versus 8.3 in no the compression group, [95% CI -7.3 to 1.1, p = .14]; post-procedural RVCSS mean score 1.5 in the compression group versus 1.8 in the no compression group, [95% CI -1.1 to 0.7, p = .59]). Patient satisfaction was similar in both groups (mean score 6.4 in the compression group versus 5.9 in the no compression group, [95% CI -0.22 to 1.17, p = .18]), and the number of days taken for patients to return to work were also comparable (mean of 11.9 days in the compression group versus 12.6 days in the no compression group [95% CI -7.7 to 6.2, p = .83]).

Conclusion: This study provided some evidence to support no additional benefit of compression use after RFA at a longer term follow-up of three years. However, larger, suitably powered studies would be beneficial to confirm this.

Objectives: Studies have shown that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a hypercoagulable state. Studies have yet to examine the interconnectedness between COVID-19, hypercoagulability, and socioeconomics. The aim of this work was to investigate socioeconomic factors that may be associated with pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and COVID-19 in the United States.

Methods: We performed a 1-year (2020) analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database. We identified all adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19, acute PE, or acute DVT using unweighted samples. We calculated the correlation and odds ratio (OR) between COVID-19 and (1) PE and (2) DVT. We executed a univariate analysis followed by a multivariate analysis to examine the effect of different factors on PE and DVT during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: We identified 322,319 patients with COVID-19; 78,101 and 67,826 patients were identified with PE and DVT, respectively. PE and DVT, as well as inpatient mortality associated with both conditions, are significantly correlated with COVID-19. The OR between COVID-19 and PE was 2.04, while the OR between COVID-19 and DVT was 1.44. Using multivariate analysis, COVID-19 was associated with a higher incidence of PE (coefficient, 2.05) and DVT (coefficient, 1.42). Other factors that were significantly associated (P < .001) with increased incidence of PE and DVT along with their coefficients, respectively, include Black race (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-1.14), top quartile income (95% CI, 1.08-1.16), west region (95% CI, 1.10-1.04), urban teaching facilities (95% CI, 1.09-1.63), large bed size hospitals (95% CI, 1.08-1.29), insufficient insurance (95% CI, 1.88-2.19), hypertension (95% CI, 1.24-1.32), and obesity (95% CI, 1.41-1.25). Factors that were significantly associated (P < .001) with decreased incidence of PE and DVT along with their coefficients, respectively, include Asians/Pacific Islanders (95% CI, 0.52-0.53), female sex (95% CI, 0.79-0.74), homelessness (95% CI, 0.62-0.61), and diabetes mellitus (0.77-0.90).

Conclusions: In the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, COVID-19 is correlated positively with venous thromboembolism, including its subtypes, PE and DVT. Using a multivariate analysis, Black race, male sex, top quartile income, west region, urban teaching facilities, large bed size hospitals, and insufficient social insurance were associated significantly with an increased incidence of PE and DVT. Asians/Pacific Islanders, female sex, homelessness, and diabetes mellitus were significantly associated decreased incidence of PE and DVT.

Objective: To assess changes in noncontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based biomarkers after upper extremity lymphedema surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively identified secondary upper extremity lymphedema patients who underwent vascularized lymph node transplant (VLNT), debulking lipectomy, or VLNT with a prior debulking (performed separately). All patients with both preoperative and postoperative MRIs were compared. An MRI-based edema scoring system was used: 0 (no edema), 1 (<50% fluid from myofascial to dermis), and 2 (≥50% fluid from myofascial to dermis). Edema scores and subcutaneous thickness (ST) were obtained along four quadrants across the upper and lower third of the arm and forearm each-for a total of 16 anatomical locations-and compared before and after surgery. Net changes in edema scores and ST were then correlated with Lymphoedema Quality-of-Life Questionnaire scores, L-Dex (bioimpedance), and limb volume difference by perometry.

Results: Patients who underwent lymphatic surgeries between January 2017 and December 2022 and successfully completed preoperative and postoperative MRI were included, resulting in a total of 33 unilateral secondary upper extremity lymphedema patients m(mean age, 63 ± 14 years; 32 female). The median postoperative follow-up times were 12.5 months (range, 6-19 months) for VLNT, 13.5 months (range, 12-40 months) for debulking, and 12.0 months (range, 12-24 months) for patients who underwent VLNT after debulking surgery. There was a decrease in mean ST in 15 of 16 anatomical segments of the upper extremity after debulking (P < .001), and the edema score increased in 7 of 16 segments (P ≤ .001-.020). Edema stage did not change in patients who underwent VLNT only or VLNT after debulking. ST decreased only along the radial forearm in patients who underwent VLNT after debulking despite an improvement in the Lymphoedema Quality-of-Life Questionnaire score in the former group. There was correlation between a decrease in ST with a decrease in volume within the debulking group (r = 0.79; P < .001). A decrease in ST also correlated with improved lymphedema quality of life questionnaires in the debulking group (r = 0.49; P = .04).

Conclusions: A decrease in ST was demonstrated in most anatomical segments after liposuction debulking, whereas edema stage was increased. Fewer changes were seen with VLNT, possibly a reflection of more gradual changes within this short follow-up period, with the radial forearm potentially revealing the earliest response.

Background: To date, the most commonly used endothermal ablation method is endovenous laser ablation (EVLA). The objective of this work is to assess the initial and short-term outcomes of a 1940 nm diode laser compared with 1470 nm diode laser utilization for the treatment of lower limb varicose veins.

Methods: This is a randomized controlled prospective study that included patients with varicose veins. The allocated patients were randomized according to the technique used: group I, which was treated using EVLA with a 1940 nm diode laser, and group II, which was treated using EVLA with a 1470 nm diode laser.

Results: This study initially included 216 patients. After the exclusion of patients lost during follow-up, group I consisted of 105 patients, and group II consisted of 101 patients. There were high rates of anatomical success in the two groups with obliteration of the treated vessels at the 1-month follow-up (100% and 99%, respectively) and the 6-month follow-up (100% and 99%, respectively). A very low rate of adverse events was encountered (1%). Group II showed obviously longer median days to return for usual activities (11.5 compared with 7 days). They showed significantly higher pain scores, which was evident at the 7-day and 1-month follow-ups (P < .001).

Conclusions: Both lasers provided excellent outcomes in terms of anatomical success and low rates of adverse events. The 1940 nm diode laser was associated with lower median days to return for usual activities and significantly lower pain scores. Evidently, lower power and linear endovenous energy density were required for this laser.