Impaired lymphatic function recovered after great saphenous vein stripping in patients with varicose vein: Venodynamic and lymphodynamic results

Objectives Venodynamics and lymphodynamics may interact as an inseparable and mutually dependent dual outflow system. This study investigated the effect of surgical treatment on lower limb lymph flow in patients with varicose veins. Methods Thirty-nine patients with varicose veins in the lower limb (28 patients with unilateral limb, 11 patients with bilateral limb), who demonstrated great saphenous vein reflux, were investigated with air-plethysmography and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence lymphography before surgical treatment and 6 months later. Fifteen healthy volunteers participated in this study as a control. With air-plethysmography, venous volume (VV) and venous filling time were measured. Venous filling index (VFI) was calculated. For ICG lymphography, 0.3 mL of ICG (0.5%) was subcutaneously injected at the dorsum of the foot. After the injection, fluorescent image of ICG dye was traced on real-time video images using a near-infrared camera system. The interval until the dye reached the knee was measured (transit time [TT]) in a standing position, which was previously demonstrated to correlate with the interval measured using dynamic isotope lymphoscintigraphy. Results In CEAP clinical stage venous disease, TT in patients with C4∼6 and C2∼3 was significantly longer than that in the control group (587 ± 97 seconds, 484 ± 82 seconds, 252 ± 29 seconds, respectively, mean ± SD, P r = 0.31, P r = 0.48, P P Conclusions Varicose veins could affect lymphatic function and delay lymphatic flow in the lower limbs. Derangement of lymph flow may correlate with the severity of clinical venous disease and/or the magnitude of venous reflux, which could be reversible with surgical treatment of venous incompetence.