Surgical Questions and Answers

Free Medical and Surgical Questions And Answers

10. What happens when a venous valve becomes incompetent?

Correct answer:

When valves are incompetent there is greater resistance to return flow (the functional obstruction). One incompetent valve will put extra pressure on the next and will tend to make this incompetent; so once defects have arisen there is a tendency for the condition to get worse as further valves are involved.