Superficial venous surgery plus compression reduced ulcer recurrence in chronic venous leg ulceration
Q In patients with chronic venous leg ulceration, is superficial venous surgery plus compression more effective than compression alone for improving healing and reducing recurrence of ulcers?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
concealed.
Blinding:
unblinded
Follow up period:
median follow up was 14 months (range 10–23 mo), comprising time from randomisation to healing (for patients with open ulcers) and from healing to recurrence or 12 months.
Setting:
3 leg ulcer clinics in Gloucestershire and north Bristol, UK.
Patients:
500 patients (58% women) who had open venous ulceration (68% of patients) or recently healed (⩽6 mo) venous ulceration (32% of patients) between the knee and malleoli for >4 weeks, ankle brachial pressure index >0.85, and superficial venous reflux alone or mixed …
