The Role of Complex Treatment in Mixed Leg Ulcers - A Case Report of Vascular, Surgical and Physical Therapy

Leg ulcers are a burden to patients, their families and society. The second most common cause of chronic leg ulcers is the mixed arterio-venous type. An 80-year-old female patient presented to our department due to painful enlarging chronic leg ulcer of mixed arteriovenous origin on her left lower leg. She suffered from peripheral arterial occlusive disease stage I and chronic venous insufficiency Widmer grade IIIa, and a number of comorbidities.

The aim of our ulcer treatment was a complete and stable wound closure that was hampered by arterial occlusion, exposed tendon, and renal insiffuciency.

To improve the prognosis for ulcer surgery, we performed percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, transcutaneous CO₂ and deep ulcer shaving. The wound was closed by sandwich transplantation using elastin-collagen dermal template and meshed split skin graft. She had a 100% graft take with rapid reduction of severe wound pain.

Complex approaches are necessary, to gain optimum results in leg ulcer therapy in mixed leg ulcers. Therapeutic nihilism should be abandonend.