The treatment of venous ulcers of the lower extremities

Venous hypertension from failure of proper venous valve function in the veins of thelower extremities causes changes over time in the microcirculation of the skin of the distal extremity. These changes set the stage for the development of a chronic nonhealing ulceration, which typically occurs at the ankle. The mainstay of treatment has been conservative, with compression dressings and elevation of the extremity. However, results have been less than satisfactory because of delay in healing and high recurrence rates after successful healing. Elimination of the venous hypertension should be the goal of therapy using more recent minimally invasive surgical techniques, including ablation of incompetent truncal veins with laser or radiofrequency energy and use of ultrasound-guided foam sclerosant injections to close incompetent perforator veins that are frequently found in or near the ulcer bed. This approach will shorten ulcer healing time and reduce recurrence rates as well as patient suffering and expense.