Does the correlation-index of volume flow in the common femoral vein and artery (VAFI) stay stable over a longer period of time?

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the correlation index, VAFI, remains stable over a period of 40 min in three different collectives. The VAFI equals the volume flow in the common femoral vein divided by the volume flow in the common arterial vein. Method: 63 patients in total were examined. Of these, 20 had no venous disorder (collective 1), 23 hod primary varicosis (collective 2), and 20 had been diagnosed with postthrombotic syndrome (collective 3). The VAFI was measured every 10 min over a period of 40 min under standardized conditions. Results: The VAFI remained stable in all 3 collectives over the 40 min period. The mean for collective 1 was 0.898, for collective 21.338, and for collective 3 1.402. The difference between collective 1 and collectives 2 and 3 was significant (p < 0.005). Conclusion: The correlation index (VAFI) remains stable over a longer period of time and is a suitable method for quantifying venous. insufficiency.