Endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) for greater saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency is a relatively new method of treatment only recently made available in Iran. This is the first long-term randomized trial comparing EVLT with high ligation of saphenous vein (HLS) in the Iranian population. Sixty-five patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into homogenous treatment groups of EVLT (n = 30) or HLS (n = 35). Clinical severity, etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology (CEAP) classification and Aberdeen Varicose Vein Symptom Severity Scores (AVSS) were used to determine disease severity and symptoms before and after the procedure in both groups. Outcome was measured by the rate of recurrence as shown in Doppler ultrasonography evaluation. Follow-up was conducted 1 week and 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after the intervention. The occlusion rate of GSV was similar in both groups (93.6% for EVLT, 88.3 for HLS) at 18 months of follow-up. The median CEAP score showed a dramatic decrease in both groups after 1 week which was sustained for the rest of the study. The Aberdeen Varicose Vein Symptom Severity score was significantly lower in the EVLT group at 12 and 18 months of follow-up. There was no significant difference in patient satisfaction in both groups. Our findings show that EVLT may offer a better long-term relief of symptoms. This, alongside its better cosmetic outcome, and less invasive anesthesia requirements may make it the favorable choice for treatment of GSV insufficiency.
BackgroundThe complications of vascular access are the most imperative etiology for hospitalization, morbidity and mortality in chronic hemodialysis. The most prevalent complication of central catheter is dysfunction due to thrombosis. Aspirin is an anti-aggregative platelet drug that may increase the patency of permanent catheters (perm-cath).ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Aspirin in perm-cath survival.Patients and MethodsThis study included a total of 185 ESRD cases according to the inclusion criteria for perm-cath insertion in hemodialysis. One hundred and eighty patients following perm-cath insertion had proper blood flow through perm-cath during hemodialysis. Patients were randomly divided between intervention (80 mg/day Aspirin initiated a day following catheter insertion) and control (placebo) groups. The average time that the perm-cath was functional was noted. Demographic characteristics included comorbidities and past history were also used to address probable influence on perm-cath function and patency.ResultsThe mean survival time of the catheter in Aspirin group was significantly higher than the control group (5.3 ± 4.7 month versus 3.9 ± 2.7 month, P = 0.012). No significant difference in major complications of Aspirin use (such as GI bleeding) was noted between two groups (P = 0.52). In terms of the patient’s demographic characteristics, those of the female gender and a history of diabetes mellitus were found to have significant influence on median survival rate of the catheters (P = 0.021, 0.043 respectively).ConclusionsThese results suggest that Aspirin use following perm-cath insertion might be beneficial for catheter survival. This increased survival time might enable patient’s use of AVF maturation for long term dialysis access.
Background: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is now the optimal method of obtaining vascular access for dialysis. Measures such as systemic anticoagulation have been proposed as means of increasing patency rates but enough evidence does not exist to support their application. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative heparin injection on patency of AVF during the first 24 hours after surgery and to determine whether such measure can be used to prevent early thrombosis of the vascular access.Methods: The study was carried out on 150 patients admitted to Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital for permanent vascular access placement during 2011-2012. 75 patients were randomly assigned to receive 100 units/kg of heparin intraoperatively and at 24 hours post-surgery AVF patency rate was assessed and compared to the control group. Results: All the 75 patients who had received heparin intraoperatively had a patent arteriovenous fistula 24 hours post-surgery which showed a statistically significant difference compared to the control group among which only 69 (92%) patients had a functioning AV fistula (p-value= 0.028).Conclusions: Our results show that systemic anticoagulation with heparin can be considered as an effective option in preventing vascular access failure. However, considering the contradictory data on the usefulness of heparin injection, larger trials are needed to evaluate efficacy and adverse effects of systemic intraoperative anticoagulation in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients before qualifying it as a method of increasing AVF patency in these patients
The aim of the current study was to assess and compare Doppler ultrasound findings, especially the resistivity index (RI), among and between patients with vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) and normal populations. Material and methodsFifteen consecutive patients with VAH (mean age 54 ± 21 years) and 15 sex-matched controls without VAH (mean age 54 ± 22 years) were selected for the study. The vertebral arteries (VA) were examined with Doppler ultrasound. We also explored each group for sex and age differences (young: age ≤ 50, old: age >50). ResultsThe mean RI (MRI), right RI (RRI), left RI (LRI), non-dominant-side RI, and dominant-side RI were significantly higher in the Case Group than the Control Group. In the Case Group, the affected-side RI (A.RI) was significantly higher than the normal side, while the normal side peak systolic velocity was significantly higher than the affected side. The MRI and A.RI were significantly higher in older patients. We also found a significant negative correlation between the mean diameter (MD) and MRI. MRI and A.RI both correlated positively with age in the Case Group, while left peak systolic velocity decreased significantly with age in the Control Group [p-values < 0.05]. ConclusionThe dominant VA had a higher RI in the Case Group than the Control Group. It can therefore be inferred that the dominant VA in patients with VAH does not work completely normally, thus making these patients even more susceptible to vertebrobasilar insufficiency and possible strokes.
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