An integral part of treating venous leg ulcers involves improving venous return to the heart and treating the underlying cause of chronic venous insufficiency, which physicians accomplish with a combination of compression therapy, and rest. Compression therapy is essential to help eliminate the edema or swelling and to help the veins work more efficiently to pump the blood from the legs back to the heart. By decreasing edema, compression therapy allows more oxygen to reach the ulcer, helps to decrease ulcer drainage, and protects the ulcer to allow for healing.Compression therapy exists in a variety of forms, ranging from rigid compression therapy to two-layer and four-layer compression bandages, and finally, elastic compression stockings. The type of compression therapy a doctor recommends depends upon the presence and location of ulcers, the severity of ulceration, the patient’s lifestyle, available caregivers, and the patient’s overall health.
Clinicians use a variety of wound care products to treat the ulcers themselves, depending upon the amount of fluid in the wound, and the presence or absence of infection. Treatment for the ulcers will consider any underlying problems. Without treating CVI, ulcers will have a difficult time healing and it may take longer without compression therapy. CVI requires long term treatment, and reoccurence of ulcers is fairly common. The most important thing to help maintain healthy legs and prevent reoccurrence is to wear compression stockings.
