Analysis of completion intraoperative venography during first rib resection for venous thoracic outlet syndrome

We evaluated the impact of completion intraoperative venography on clinical outcomes for axillosubclavian vein (AxSCV) thrombosis owing to venous thoracic outlet syndrome (vTOS).

We performed a retrospective, single-center review of all patients with vTOS treated with first rib resection (FRR) and intraoperative venography from 2011 to 2023. We reviewed intraoperative venographic films to classify findings and collected demographics, clinical and perioperative variables, and clinical outcomes. Primary end points were symptomatic relief and primary patency at 3 months and 1 year. Secondary end points were time free from symptoms, reintervention rate, perioperative complications, and mortality.

Fifty-one AxSCVs (49 patients; mean age, 31.3 ± 12.6 years; 52.9% female) were treated for vTOS with FRR and external venolysis followed by completion intraoperative venography with a mean follow up of 15.5 ± 13.5 months. Before FRR, 32 underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis (62.7%). Completion intraoperative venography identified 16 patients with no stenosis (group 1, 31.3%), 17 with no stenosis after angioplasty (group 2, 33.3%), 10 with residual stenosis after angioplasty (group 3, 19.7%), and 8 with complete occlusion (group 4, 15.7%). The overall symptomatic relief was 44 of 51 (86.3%) and did not differ between venographic classifications (group 1, 14 of 16; group 2, 13 of 17; group 3, 10 of 10; and group 4, 7 of 8; log-rank test, P = .5). The overall 3-month and 1-year primary patency was 42 of 43 (97.7%) and 32 of 33 (97.0%), respectively (group 1, 16 of 16 and 9 of 9; group 2, 16 of 17 and 12 of 13; group 3, 10 of 10, 5 of 5; group 4, primary patency not obtained). There was one asymptomatic rethrombosis that resolved with anticoagulation, and three patients underwent reintervention with venous angioplasty for significant symptom recurrence an average 2.89 ± 1.7 months after FRR.

Our single-center retrospective study demonstrates that FRR with completion intraoperative venography has excellent symptomatic relief and short- and mid-term patency despite residual venous stenosis and complete occlusion. Although completion intraoperative venographic classification did not correlate with adverse outcomes, this protocol yielded excellent results and provides important clinical data for postoperative management. Our results also support a conservative approach to AxSCV occlusion identified after FRR.