Clinical Relevance of Neovascularisation on Duplex Ultrasound in the Long-Term Follow-up After Varicose Vein Operation

Abstract

Objective:To evaluate the clinical relevance of neovascularisation at the saphenous ligation site.Design:Long-term follow-up after previous varicose vein surgery in a single patient group.Setting:Vascular clinic of a university hospital.Patients:Eighty-two patients (106 limbs) with a mean follow-up period of 56 months after correct saphenous ligation were submitted to duplex scanning.Intervention:Clinical assessment and colour duplex scanning of all the operated limbs. Reintervention in 15 limbs with perioperative evaluation of recurrent veins.Main outcome measures:Limbs with and without recurrent varicose veins were classified according to the degree of neovascularisation: grade 0 = no new communicating veins, grade 1 = tiny new vein with diameter 4 mm and pathological reflux. On reintervention the presence of neovascular veins at the site of the previous ligation was checked.Results:In 68 limbs without recurrent varicose veins, grade 0 was observed ...