Invited commentary.

Abstract

All vessels in the circulatory system look similar, yet the physiologic role of each of them is unique. Like arteries, veins are conductors of the blood flow. Unlike arteries, they can rapidly extend, accumulate large volumes of blood, and rapidly release this blood supplying the heart with the necessary volume. This happens every time we stand up or lie down, walk, or are engaged in other physical activity. The ability of veins to provide such an adaptive function is therefore essential to normal circulation. Validation of the novel venous drainage index with stepwise increases in thigh compression pressure in the quantification of venous obstructionJournal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic DisordersVol. 5Issue 1PreviewVenous drainage from the leg is poorly understood, and it is difficult to quantify it hemodynamically. Attempts have been made using duplex ultrasound scanning and venous occlusion air plethysmography (APG). However, they have limited value in day-to-day clinical practice. This is because venous drainage measurements have never been validated successfully against increasing obstruction pressures. The hypothesis is that the novel gravitational venous drainage index (VDI) in milliliters/second is reduced in response to increasing venous obstruction, and the aim was to quantify this, using stepwise inflations of a thigh cuff. Full-Text PDF Regarding “Validation of the novel venous drainage index with stepwise increases in thigh compression pressure in the quantification of venous obstruction”Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic DisordersVol. 5Issue 3PreviewWe read with interest the Invited Commentary by Fedor Lurie on our manuscript regarding the validation of the venous drainage index (VDI) of air plethysmography (APG).1 His statement that there is an important need to develop a clinically meaningful, reliable test to assess the physiologic effect of venous obstruction is pertinent to contemporary practice. Furthermore, the limitations of anatomic imaging and the relevance of iliofemoral and pelvic collateralization on limb drainage, discussed in the commentary, serve to reinforce the need for such a test. Full-Text PDF