[Evaluation of calf muscle pump function after subfascial endoscopic perforator dissection].

INTRODUCTION: Perforating vein incompetence can be demonstrated in many cases of chronic venous insufficiency. Subfascial endoscopic perforating vein surgery has become an accepted method in the treatment of perforator insufficiency over the past decade. However, what the hemodynamic consequences of perforating vein interruption are, is not clear.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the results of endoscopic perforating vein surgery performed in the authors' department over the past four years. To compare the outcome of the operation in patients with deep venous reflux with those who only had superficial and perforating vein reflux. To analyze the changes in calf muscle pump function with photoplethysmography carried out before and after the operation.

METHODS: Subfascial endoscopic perforator dissection was performed on 53 patients who suffered from severe chronic venous insufficiency mainly with active ulcer. With the follow-up of 51 patients, a prospective clinical trial was carried out which consisted of physical examination and Doppler ultrasound, six weeks after the operation and every three months thereafter. The data were analyzed with standard statistical methods.

RESULTS: Clinical symptoms improved and proved to be durable in 33 (64%) of 51 patients during the follow-up. The healing rate of 40 patients with venous ulcer was 82% after the operation. 62% of the patients were ulcer-free on a long term. While of the 33 patients with deep venous reflux 17 (52%) showed durable improvement, of the 18 patient who had only superficial and perforating vein insufficiency only 2 patients did not experience improvement. Average venous refilling time of the 33 patients who underwent photoplethysmography increased from 12.5 sec to 14.6 sec after endoscopic perforating vein surgery although significant improvement was demonstrated only on patients who had only superficial venous reflux together with perforating vein insufficiency.

CONCLUSIONS: Subfascial endoscopic perforating vein surgery proved to be a successful alternative in the authors' clinical trial in treating patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency. Mid-term evaluation showed excellent results with patients without deep venous reflux and acceptably good outcome with patients with deep venous insufficiency. Improvement of clinical symptoms after endoscopic perforator dissection was followed by significant improvement of calf muscle pump function only on patients without deep venous reflux.