Experimental prosthetic vein valve. Long-term results.

Chronic venous insufficiency is a disease that carries significant morbidity and represents a sizeable burden to the health care system. Current medical and surgical therapies are associated with a high incidence of failure. This has prompted the development of a synthetic vein valve for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. Nine dogs underwent the implantation of ten valves into the femoral veins. Initial studies showed the valves to be competent and patent. However, over a two-year period dense ingrowth of intimal hyperplasia rendered the valves functionless.