EXPERIMENTAL PROSTHETIC VEIN VALVE - LONG-TERM RESULTS

Chronic venous insufficiency is a disease that carries significant mor bidity and represents a sizeable burden to the health care system. Cur rent medical and surgical therapies are associated with a high inciden ce of failure. This has prompted the development of a synthetic Vein v alve for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. Nine dogs unde rwent the implantation of ten valves into the femoral veins. Initial s tudies showed the valves to be competent and patent. However, over a t wo-year period dense ingrowth of intimal hyperplasia rendered the valv es functionless.