A veia safena magna autóloga é o melhor substituto arterial nas revascularizações dos membros inferiores, importante na revascularização do miocárdio e pode ser utilizada nas cirurgias do sistema venoso e nos traumas das extremidades. A fleboextração aumenta os riscos de lesões linfáticas e neurológicas. Assim, no tratamento das varizes primárias dos membros inferiores por meio da cirurgia ou de outras técnicas, a preservação da safena é recomendável se ela for normal ou apresentar alterações que ainda permitam sua preservação pela correção da causa desencadeante. Tal correção pode ser feita por técnicas cirúrgicas. Entre elas, a cura hemodinâmica da insuficiência venosa em ambulatório (CHIVA) tem mostrado bons resultados. Recentemente, um ensaio clínico randomizado e controlado foi publicado comprovando sua eficácia. Outra técnica bastante utilizada é a da ligadura rasante da junção safenofemoral + crossectomia + ligadura das tributárias de crossa, com a qual se tem obtido resultados contraditórios. Finalmente, as técnicas que corrigem a insuficiência da safena reparando as valvas ostial e pré-ostial (valvoplastia externa) são mais fisiológicas. Um ensaio clínico internacional multicêntrico, randomizado e controlado, testando um novo dispositivo, está sendo realizado, com resultados iniciais favoráveis. Este estudo pretende fazer uma revisão sobre as técnicas utilizadas na preservação da safena magna.

The autologous great saphenous vein is the most effective bypass choice for lower limb revascularization, playing an important role in myocardial revascularization, and can be used in venous system surgeries and extremity traumas. Stripping increases the risk of lymphatic lesions and nerve damage. Therefore, when surgery or other techniques are used to treat primary varicose veins in the lower limbs, preservation of the saphenous vein is a desirable objective whenever the vein remains healthy or with alterations that still allow preservation by correcting the cause. Such corrections can be performed surgically. Among the methods currently used, the ambulatory conservative hemodynamic correction of venous insufficiency has yielded good results. A randomized controlled trial confirming the efficacy of this procedure has been recently published. Another largely used technique is flush ligation of the saphenofemoral junction plus saphenous veins stripping and ligation of its tributaries at the groin, which has yielded conflicting results. Finally, there are techniques that correct saphenofemoral reflux by external valvuloplasty of the saphenofemoral junction. An international multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, testing a new device, is currently in progress with favorable preliminary results. This study aimed to review the techniques employed to preserve the great saphenous vein in varicose vein surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The present study examines cardiovascular risk factor profiles and 24-month mortality in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. DESIGN STUDY: Prospective observational study including 75 consecutive patients with PAD (67 ± 9.7 years of age; 52 men and 23 women) hospitalized for planned peripheral vascular reconstruction. Doppler echocardiograms were performed before surgery in 54 cases. Univariate analyses were performed using Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test. Survival analysis at 24-month follow-up was performed using the Cox regression model and Kaplan-Meier method including age and chronic use of aspirin as covariates. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Hypertension and smoking were the most frequent risk factors (52 cases and 51 cases, respectively), followed by diabetes (32 cases). Undertreated dyslipidemia was found in 26 cases. Fasting glycine levels (131 ± 69.1 mg/dl) were elevated in 29 cases. Myocardial hypertrophy was found in 18 out of 54 patients. Thirty-four patients had been treated with aspirin. Overall mortality over 24 months was 24% and was associated with age (HR: 0.064; CI95: 0.014-0.115; p=0.013) and lack of use of aspirin, as no deaths occurred among those using this drug (p<0.001). No association was found between cardiovascular death (11 cases) and the other risk factors. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of uncontrolled (treated or untreated) cardiovascular risk factors in patients undergoing planned peripheral vascular reconstruction, and chronic use of aspirin is associated with reduced all-cause mortality in these patients.

Este estudo apresenta resultados preliminares obtidos com um novo filtro permanente de veia cava, baseado no desenho de Greenfield, com três hastes prolongadas de um total de seis, para dar estabilidade central ao filtro na luz da veia cava. Neste artigo, relatamos sua avaliação clínica preliminar quanto à aplicabilidade, eficácia e segurança. De agosto de 2004 a dezembro de 2006, 15 filtros foram implantados em nove homens e seis mulheres, com idades variando de 38 a 79 anos (média de 57,8 anos). O acesso foi feito sempre por via transjugular. As indicações foram: trombose venosa proximal, com contra-indicação de anticoagulação em 12 pacientes; complicações hemorrágicas com anticoagulação em dois pacientes; e embolia pulmonar, apesar de anticoagulação adequada, em um paciente. Os filtros foram avaliados quanto à liberação, inclinação, mau posicionamento e perfuração de cava. No seguimento, avaliou-se trombose no local de acesso, tromboembolismo venoso recorrente, migração do filtro e trombose de cava pelo ultra-som. Nenhum paciente recebeu anticoagulantes no seguimento. O filtro foi liberado com sucesso em todos os casos sem mau posicionamento, inclinação, perfuração ou trombose de acesso. Os pacientes foram seguidos entre 3 e 23 meses (média de 11 meses). Nenhum paciente teve recorrência de tromboembolismo venoso. Não houve casos de trombose de veia cava ou migração do filtro. Óbito ocorreu em sete casos, todos relacionados com a moléstia de base. Os resultados preliminares indicam potencial eficácia e segurança do uso do novo filtro no período estudado.

This study presents preliminary results obtained from a new permanent filter, based on Greenfield's filter design, with prolongations on three of six struts to stabilize it centrally in the vena caval lumen. The preliminary clinical evaluation of the filter with regard to feasibility, efficacy and safety is reported. From August 2004 to December 2006, 15 vena cava filters were deployed in nine men and six women, who ranged in age from 38 to 79 years (mean, 57.8 years). The approach used was always transjugular. Indications for filter placement were proximal deep venous thrombosis with a contraindication to anticoagulation in 12 patients; hemorrhagic complications with anticoagulation in two patients; and pulmonary embolism, despite adequate anticoagulation in one patient. New vena cava filters were evaluated for releasing, tilting, malpositioning and caval perforation. Follow-up included assessment of access site thrombosis and filter migration, recurrent venous thromboembolism, and caval thrombosis by duplex ultrasound. No patient received anticoagulants in the follow-up. In all patients the filter was successfully released, with no malpositioning, tilting, perforation or access thrombosis. The patients were followed for 3 to 23 months (mean = 11 months). No patient developed recurrent venous thromboembolism. No other patients developed inferior vena cava thrombosis or filter migration. Death occurred in seven patients, all related to baseline illness. This preliminary study suggests good feasibility and safety of the new filter up to the observation period.

RESUMO A fístula arteriovenosa com bom fluxo sangüíneo é de fundamental importância para os pacientes portadores de insuficiência renal crônica em tratamento hemodialítico. Uma das complicações da fístula arteriovenosa é a síndrome do roubo, mas esta é de ocorrência incomum, e o seu tratamento está diretamente indicado quando há sintomas manifestos. Vários métodos foram propostos para sua correção nos membros superiores, sendo considerada a revascularização distal com ligadura arterial o procedimento de escolha. Neste relato de caso inédito, descreve-se o tratamento da síndrome do roubo de uma fístula arteriovenosa realizada em membro inferior, tratada com sucesso por meio da mesma técnica indicada para os membros superiores.

Arteriovenous fistula with adequate blood flow is extremely important for patients with chronic renal insufficiency undergoing hemodialysis. Steal syndrome is a complication of arteriovenous fistula, but it is rare and its treatment is directly indicated when there are associated symptoms. Although many treatments have been proposed for its repair in the upper limbs, distal revascularization and interval ligation is currently the treatment of choice. This original case report describes the treatment of steal syndrome secondary to arteriovenous fistula in the lower limb, which was successfully treated using the same procedure described for the upper limbs.

CONTEXTO: A aplicação de uma estratégia baseada em um modelo clínico associado ao mapeamento dúplex (MD) pode permitir um diagnóstico da trombose venosa profunda (TVP) mais seguro, eficaz e custo-efetivo. OBJETIVO: Testar o modelo clínico de Wells et al. associado ao MD e verificar a ocorrência de TVP nos pacientes categorizados quanto à probabilidade de apresentar a doença, e determinar se, a partir dos resultados obtidos, seria possível reduzir o número de exames seriados com o MD. MÉTODOS: Os pacientes com suspeita clínica de TVP foram categorizados quanto à apresentação de TVP em baixa, moderada e alta probabilidade (BP, MP, AP) e, em seguida, submetidos ao MD. Pacientes com MD negativo repetiram o exame em 24-48 horas e em 7 dias. Pacientes com exame positivo para TVP foram tratados. Todos os pacientes sem TVP foram convocados para reavaliação clínica em 3 meses. RESULTADOS: A ocorrência de TVP entre os 489 pacientes avaliados foi de 39,1% (191), sendo 35,6% identificados no exame inicial e 3,5% no exame seriado. Os índices de pacientes que apresentaram TVP foram de 6,1% no grupo de BP, 26,9% no grupo de MP e 79,5% no grupo de AP. No exame seriado, o percentual de TVP foi de 2,4, 7,8 e 15,1% nos grupos BP, MP e AP, respectivamente. Dos pacientes com MD negativo, 62,4% compareceram após 3 meses, e piora dos sintomas foi apresentada por apenas um paciente. Neste, o MD mostrou TVP de veia poplítea. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados obtidos sugerem que, para os pacientes com BP para TVP e MD negativo, seria possível prescindir do exame seriado, devido à baixa ocorrência de TVP neste grupo, tornando, assim, a abordagem diagnóstica mais simples.

BACKGROUND: The application of a diagnostic strategy based on a clinical model associated with duplex scanning (DS) may allow for a safer and more effective/cost-effective diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical model proposed by Wells et al. associated with DS and verify the occurrence of DVT in patients divided into probability of presenting the disease, and assess the possibility of reducing the number of repeated DS based on the results obtained. METHODS: Suspected DVT patients were accordingly categorized into groups of low, moderate and high DVT probability (LP, MP and HP). The patients were then submitted to DS and those without DVT were rescheduled to repeat the examination in 24-48 hours and in 7 days. Patients positively diagnosed with DVT received proper treatment. All patients without DVT were summoned to return within 3 months. RESULTS: The incidence of DVT among all 489 patients was 39.1% (191); of these, 35.6% were identified in the first examination and 3.5% in the follow-up. Among patients categorized as LP the occurrence was 6.1%, 26.9% in the MP group and 79.5% in the HP group. On the follow-up exams the incidence of DVT in LP, MP and HP groups was 2.4, 7.8 e 13.2%, respectively. Among patients with negative DS, 62.4% attended the reevaluation in 3 months and only one presented worsening of symptoms. This patient was then diagnosed with popliteal DVT using DS. CONCLUSION:The results suggest that for patients with LP for DVT and negative DS, follow-up exams are not needed, since the occurrence of DVT was low in this group. This procedure simplifies the diagnostic process.