BACKGROUND: The use of external banding during transcommissural external valvuloplasty has the theoretical advantage of increasing the durability of surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to assess the durability of this combined approach and compare its long-term results with those of external valvuloplasty procedure applied alone. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data on 144 @entity1 with combined superficial and deep @entity1211 who underwent transcommissural external valvuloplasty procedure alone or transcommissural external valvuloplasty plus external banding procedure over a 7-year period from September 1998 to November 2005. The clinical study included only the @entity1 who have completed at least 48 months of follow-up period. Seventy-six @entity1 who have completed the necessary follow-up period were divided into 2 groups according to the surgical procedure performed. Group A consists of 40 @entity1 in whom transcommissural external valvuloplasty was the procedure of choice and Group B consists of 36 @entity1 in whom an external banding has been added to external valvuloplasty repair. The outcomes assessed are venous clinical severity scores of @entity1 , @entity1066 and competency rates. RESULTS: In both groups, median preoperative Venous Clinical Severity Scores were 3. The severity scores improved in both groups during the postoperative follow-up period. However, although the scores of Group B @entity1 at 12 and 24 months were lower than those of Group A, the difference was not statistically significantly at these time points; but, reached a statistical significance at the end of 36 months. @entity1066 at 48 months for groups A and B were 72% and 96%, respectively. The cumulative competency rates of 40 Group A @entity1 were 85% at 6 months, 77.5% at 12 months, 69% at 24 months, 58% at 36 months, 55% at 48 months, and 48.5% at 60 months. The cumulative competency rates of 36 @entity1 in Group B were 88% at 6 months, 80% at 12 months, 75% at 24 months, 71.5% at 36 months, 69% at 48 months, and 69% at 60 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although external valvuloplasty procedure is an acceptable technique that can be used in @entity1 with deep @entity1211 , our study revealed that its durability may be limited and decreases over time. The addition of external banding provides more durable results with a lesser incidences of @entity1066 and @entity338 .

The use of external banding increases the durability of transcommissural external deep XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1066 :: ('MESH:D014456', 'Disease') :: ['Ulcer-freedom rates', 'ulcer recurrence'] @entity1211 :: ('MESH:D054556', 'Disease') :: ['venous reflux'] @entity338 :: ('MESH:D011665', 'Disease') :: ['valve incompetence']
@entity1211 :: (MESH:D054556,Disease) :: ['venous valve repair']
