Surgical treatment of postthrombotic syndrome in lower extremities

[Objective] To review the surgical management of patients with postthrombotic syndrome of lower extremities. [Methods] From 1992 to 2006, 26 patients with postthrombotic syndrome of lower extremities were admitted. All patients were treated by the ligation and strip of great saphenous veins in other hospital before admitted to our hospital. The second ligation and strip of great saphenous veins were made in 3 of these patients. All patients were treated by different treatments in our hospital. [Results] 26 patients were treated by substitude politeal vein valve operation in seventeen cases, iliofemoral bypass in six, cross bypass of great saphenous vein in one, and nonoperation in two. The clinical manifestations vanished after the treatments except five patients with heaviness. The follow-up periods were 3.2 years. The function of the lower extremities recovered satisfactorily. [Conclusions] Different types of postthrombotic syndrome of lower extremities should be rendered by different therapeutic procedures after the diagnoses were made.