Femoral and iliofemoral thrombectomy to prevent chronic venous insufficiency. Follow-up of 18 patients.

Eighteen patients with femoral and iliofemoral venous thrombosis were treated surgically. Five of the patients had a moderate degree of venous congestion and were classified as having phlegmasia alba dolens and 13 patients had phlegmasia cerulea dolens. The mean age was 39 years, range 18-60 years; 6 were men and 12 women. Thrombectomy was performed with a Fogarty venous thrombectomy catheter. In all cases the thrombosis was verified by phlebography. Pre- and postoperative phlebography was used in all cases to show the patency of the femoral and iliofemoral segment. There was no operative pulmonary embolism or mortality. Heparin infusion was continued in the thrombectomized segment for 10 days followed by phenprocumone treatment. The patients were followed from 6 to 8 months, postoperatively. The operation was performed in the acute stage and the late results are as follows: 4 limbs good, 6 limbs fair and 8 limbs poor. The best results were obtained when the latency period was 24 to 72 hours. Postthrombotic sequelae could not be prevented in about 44% of all patients despite venous thrombectomy.