Venous Muscle Pump Function following Reconstructive Arterial Surgery

Abstract

The changes that occur in the leg venous muscle pump function were studied before and after proximal arterial reconstruction in 25 patients with claudication but without rest pain or clinical evidence of venous disease. There was found a significant increase in the distal blood pressure index corresponding to excellent clinical results. The venous muscle pump was affected such that venous return time, RT, decreased significantly (P < 0.02) but expelled volume, EV, was not significantly affected. It is concluded that these findings may be explained by a postoperative increase in exercise bloodflow and that alterations in RT not only can be caused by changes in venous reflux but also by alterations in arterial input to the leg. The muscle pump capability to pump blood towards the heart was unaffected (EV constant) and it can thus not be incriminated for the postreconstructive oedema often found after arterial surgery. When evaluating isolated RT changes it is necessary to consider whether the arterial input to the pump is constant.