Zelikovski A, Ben-Tov I, Koren A, Stelman E, Haddad M.
"Veno-Press" - a new sequential intermittent pneumatic device for the prevention
of perioperative deep vein thrombosis.
Isr J Med Sci 1996 Dec;32(12):1335-7

Department of Vascular Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel.

The prevention of peri-operative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the potentially
hazardous pulmonary embolism that may follow is still a major medical issue.
Intermittent pneumatic compression is one of the many methods currently in use
for this purpose. No information is available, however, regarding the venous flow
alterations that occur during employment of a pneumatic compression device under
general anesthesia. The aim of this study is to delineate these venous flow
variations and to determine the optimal pump setting for the prevention of
operative venous stasis and its sequelae, postoperative DVT. A new sequential
intermittent pneumatic device, the "Veno-Press", was applied on 20 volunteers of
whom 10 were undergoing surgery unrelated to the lower limbs, during the
pre-anesthesia and during general anesthesia. The venous velocity patterns over
the femoral vein were depicted via duplex scanning under different pressure and
rhythm settings of the device. The "Veno-Press" induced a marked augmentation in
venous blood velocity flow. A further 10-30% augmentation was noted when the
patients were under general anesthesia, as well as a 10-30% increase in the
femoral vein diameter. None of the patients developed postoperative DVT. This
device is a very efficient tool for augmentation of venous blood velocity,
especially during general anesthesia. Its effectiveness is most probably the
result of the compressive action over the relaxed--and hence enlarged--capacitant
veins of the anesthetized patient. We suggest that the "Veno-Press", if properly
timed, is very efficient in venostasis prevention, leading presumably to a
decline in the occurrence of DVT and pulmonary embolisms in the surgical patient.