Extended anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism: A survey of the American Venous Forum and the European Venous Forum.

Objective: Extended anticoagulation therapy should always be considered after standard treatment of an unprovoked episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE). It can also be considered for selected patients with provoked VTE. However, the evidence-based protocols suggested by some clinical guidelines and risk assessment tools to guide this practice are limited and ambiguous.

Safety and Effectiveness of Endovenous Thermal Ablation for Incompetent Saphenous Veins with an Aneurysm Close to the Junction.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) with or without adding high ligation (HL) for the treatment of incompetent saphenous veins with an aneurysm (>20 mm for the great saphenous vein, >15 mm for the small saphenous vein) close to the junction.

Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study in a single centre. All patients presenting with saphenous aneurysms close to the junction were included.

Varicose veins due to reflux in a tortuous sartorius muscle vein.

In daily phlebology practice, duplex ultrasound may sometimes reveal unusual pathways of reflux. A 46-year-old woman presented with heaviness and pain at the medial side of the left thigh after exercise. A tortuous intramuscular course of a large refluxing vein was seen in the sartorius muscle in connection with a femoral vein perforator cranially and the below-knee great saphenous vein distally.

Editor's Choice - Five Year Results of Great Saphenous Vein Treatment: A Meta-analysis.

Objectives: The most frequently used treatment options for great saphenous vein incompetence are high ligation with stripping (HL+S), endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA), mainly consisting of endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) or radiofrequency ablation, and ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS). The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the long-term efficacy of these different treatment modalities.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed.

The effect of single phlebectomies of a large varicose tributary on great saphenous vein reflux.

Objective: Phlebectomy of varicose tributaries is usually considered an additional treatment after or during saphenous ablation. As phlebectomies alone affect the hemodynamics of the venous system, this treatment can be effective as primary intervention in selected patients. The objective of this study was to analyze hemodynamic, clinical, and patient-reported outcomes after phlebectomies in a prospective multicenter study to determine predictors for treatment success, that is, restoration of great saphenous vein (GSV) competence.

Comparing endovenous laser ablation, foam sclerotherapy, and conventional surgery for great saphenous varicose veins.

Background: Many case series have been published on treatments of varicose veins, but comparative randomized controlled trials remain sparse.

Objective: To compare the anatomic success rate, frequency of major complications, and quality-of-life improvement of endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS), and conventional surgery (CS), after 1-year follow-up.

Methods: A total of 240 consecutive patients with primary symptomatic great saphenous vein reflux were randomized to EVLA, UGFS, or CS, consisting of high ligation and short stripping.

Chronic venous insufficiency in patients with absence of the inferior vena cava.

Objective: Up until now, knowledge of absence of the inferior vena cava (AIVC) is limited to case reports and small case series, usually reported shortly after diagnosis. To characterize long-term evolution of outcomes of patients with AIVC, we performed a survey of current practice in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux).

Methods: Vascular surgeons and phlebologists in the Benelux area were asked to complete a questionnaire on medical history and treatment of each patient in follow-up at their practice with a diagnosis of AIVC.

A giant aneurysm of the popliteal vein.

Popliteal vein aneurysm is a rare diagnosis, associated with a 70 % risk of pulmonary embolism, sometimes even with fatal evolution. Surgery dramatically reduces the risk of pulmonary embolism. We report a case of a 66-year-old man with recurrent pulmonary embolism and a giant popliteal venous aneurysm (9.