Do vein valves matter ?
A study by Sales CM and colleagues counted the number of valves in saphenectomy specimens to determine if patients with documented venous insufficiency of the great saphenous vein have a lower number of vein valves than patients without venous insufficiency.
The great saphenous vein (GSV) was the vein that was studied.
The researchers found that the mean number of valves in the saphenous veins of the two groups differed significantly. Patients with venous insufficiency had less than half the number of vein valves in the great sapheous specimens compared to those without venous insufficiency (2.3 versus 4.8 ; p < 0.0001).
Dr Karamanoukian's comment: This study suggests that the relative lack of valves may be related to the development of venous insufficiency. This report documents that patients with symptomatic reflux in the GSV have significantly fewer valves than patients with apparently normal functioning saphenous veins.
Sales CM, Rosenthal D, Petrillo KA et al. The valvular apparatus in venous insufficiency: a problem of quantity? Ann Vasc Surg 1998; 12: 153-155.