CAPILLARY FILTRATION-RATE, BEFORE AND AFTER STRIPPING OF THE GREATER SAPHENOUS-VEIN, MEASURED WITH AIR-PLETHYSMOGRAPHY

Objective: To investigate whether there is a decrease in the capillary filtration rate after stripping of the greater saphenous vein, measur ed by air-plethysmography. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Academi c Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands. Patients: Fourteen lower limbs of 10 patients in which duplex ultrasound demonstrated insufficiency of the sapheno-femoral junction and of the greater saphenous vein, bef ore operation. Interventions: Stripping of the greater saphenous vein. Main outcome measures: Capillary filtration rate before and 6 weeks a fter stripping of the greater saphenous vein, measured by air-plethysm ography. Results: The capillary filtration rate after stripping of the greater saphenous vein had decreased in 12 legs and increased in two legs. The mean capillary filtration rate before operation was 6.58 ml/ min (SD 1.97). Six weeks after stripping of the greater saphenous vein the mean capillary filtration rate was 5.54 ml/min (SD 1.22). These v alues have a level of significance of p < 0.01. Conclusion: The signif icant decrease of the capillary filtration rate, 6 weeks after strippi ng of the greater saphenous vein, measured with air-plethysmography, s ignifies an improvement in the microcirculation, related to the filtra tion function of the capillaries.