The endothelium releases substances controlling vascular tone and platelet function. We investigated mediators of endothelium-dependent responses in human internal mammary arteries and saphenous veins. The inhibitor of nitric oxide formation, NG-monomethyl L-arginine, enhanced the sensitivity to norepinephrine (fivefold) and evoked more pronounced endothelium-dependent contractions in internal ...

Saphenous vein grafts are the most common conduits used for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); however, no more than 60% of vein grafts remain open after 10 years and graft failure is associated with poor clinical outcome. The "no-touch" harvesting technique-where a sheet of perivascular tissue is retained around the vein-improves graft patency to over 80% after 16 years of follow-up, but ...

OBJECTIVE The objective was to analyze the effectiveness of foam ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy treatment in saphenous veins and tributary veins with a diameter at the saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal junction of > or =10 mm and compare these results with a subgroup of veins with diameters of < 10 mm. METHODS A subgroup of 17 saphenous veins with a diameter at the saphenofemoral or sapheno...

Saphenous Veins are described in Anatomy textbooks as superficial veins running in the amorphous fatty layer of the lower limbs. Recent papers have demonstrated the complex fascial relationship of Saphenous Veins with the connective framework of the lower limb hypodermis. The aim of the present paper was to systematically review the anatomy of lower limb superficial veins, based upon echographi...

The aim is to present our experience and observations regarding varicose vein treatment by means of ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS). The study included 81 patients, 54 with insufficient main stem superficial veins in one limb and 27 with both limbs affected. Great saphenous vein insufficiency was diagnosed in 68, small saphenous insufficiency in 18, anterior accessory saphenous vein...

Level 2: Duplex scanning of the left leg (May 1989) showed absence of the greater saphenous vein. The common femoral and profunda femoris veins were patent and competent. There was partial reca nalization of the superficial femoral and popliteal veins. The posterior tibial vein was also recanalized. No perforating veins were identified. Duplex scan Sep 1997: left superficial femoral and poplite...

Policy Statements Greater or Lesser Saphenous Veins Treatment of the greater or lesser saphenous veins by surgery (ligation and stripping) or endovenous radiofrequency or laser ablation may be considered medically necessary for symptomatic varicose veins/venous insufficiency when the following criteria have been met:  There is demonstrated saphenous reflux; AND  There is documentation of one ...

All types of varicose veins can be treated successfully by a radical stripping operation in which the whole system of diseased veins and related perforating veins is removed (Myers, 1957; Arenander, 1960; Sherman, 1964). Simple procedures such as high ligation, with or without stripping of the main saphenous trunk, though widely practised, are much less successful, even in the early and uncompl...

OBJECTIVE Endovenous methods are increasingly used to treat varicose veins. We evaluated the outcome of patients treated with the new radiofrequency ablation (RFA)-ClosureFast catheter in an outpatient setting. METHOD Retrospective analysis of postinterventional duplex ultrasound (DUS), complication rate and quality of life of patients treated for incompetent saphenous veins. RESULTS Betwee...