Which of the following statements about injured veins is/are correct?

A. In contrast to the arterial system, it is more difficult to evaluate the patient for suspected venous trauma.

B. There is no simple method similar to palpating distal pulses following arterial repair to evaluate the status of attempted venous repair.

C. Recanalization of initial thrombosis of attempted venous repair is more common than in the arterial system.

D. Doppler ultrasound—and more recently color-flow duplex—have been increasingly helpful in evaluating integrity of the venous system.

E. Prevention of venous stasis is important in the immediate postoperative period after attempted venous repair.

DISCUSSION: There are significant differences between the arterial system and the lower-pressure venous system. Presence or absence of distal pulses associated with possible arterial injuries provides a simple mechanism for evaluating patients with potential injury, while there is no simple method of evaluating patients for potential venous injury. Doppler ultrasound—and more recently color-flow duplex—have been increasingly helpful in evaluating the integrity of the venous system. If thrombosis of an attempted venous repair occurs, there is a high probability that recanalization of the thrombus will occur. This is in contrast to the arterial system, where recanalization of thrombosis of an attempted arterial repair is a rare occurrence. Venous stasis must be prevented in the immediate postoperative period following attempted venous repair to reduce the possibility of thrombosis.