Leg blood and central circulation at varying blood volumes. A peroperative study of nine young patients with varicose veins.

Cardiac output, central pressures and leg blood flow wre studied in a group of nine young individuals undergoing surgery for varicose veins. These subjects did not differ from older ones in an earlier, corresponding study in respect of central or femoral blood flow. The haemodynamic affects of peroperative variations of the blood volume were also the same. Thus, the common femoral arterial blood flow decreased by 40% from a mean of 450 to 260 ml/min during the operation. After transfusion of 900 ml of blood the flow increased to 575 ml/min. As a low blood predisposes to thrombosis, it is concluded that, irrespective of age, adequate peroperative volume substitution is of great importance in counteracting such a risk.