[Local tissue hypoxia consequence in the trophic venous ulceration in elderly patients]

This paper analyzes the data of examination and the results of the treatment of 25 patients aged over 80 years (mean age 68.5+/-7 years) suffering from varicosity with long nonhealing trophic ulcers of the distal limb segments (CVI CMP C6) and 20 patients of the same age groups with CVI CEAP stages 3-5. All patients with CVI underwent either full-scope phlebectomy (64.4%) or partial truncal phlebectomy (35.6%), in which the trunk of the greater saphenous vein was stripped up to the upper third of the leg. A TCM-3 outfit (RADIOmeter, Denmark) was employed to measure oxygen tension in limb tissues. Parameters of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant tissue defence were measured intraoperatively in the capillary blood of the fingers as well as in the venous blood withdrawn from the cubital vein and the greater saphenous vein in the lower third of the leg near ulcer). The data obtained evidenced that lipid peroxidation activity was most pronounced in the soft tissues of the lower third of the leg in the group of patients with remarkable chronic venous insufficiency without trophic venous ulcers (GVI CEAP C3-5) and was significantly depleted after formation of varicose ulcers (CVI CEAP C6) associated with remarkable tissue hypoxia (TepO2 1.7-7.0 mm Hg). In all patients with CVI, the syndrome of lipid peroxidation was associated with the lowering of antioxidant defence activity. Patients with trophic venous ulcers had the signs of active inflammation in the soft tissues of the leg. The data obtained in the course of the study made it possible to optimize the treatment policy for elderly patients with trophic venous ulcers. In addition to the lowering of venous hypertension, the treatment included correction of microcirculatory disorders related to local hypoxia. Of special importance was reperfusion attenuation in the postoperative period.