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Endovenous laser combined with other procedures effective treatment of chronic venous ulcers

Endovenous laser ablation using a 1,320-nm laser along with foam sclerotherapy and phlebectomy as appropriate was effective at treating chronic venous ulcers, according to recently published study results.

Ashley Wysong, MD, MS, of the department of dermatology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and colleagues studied a prospective database of all patients at a single comprehensive vein clinic presenting between March 2007 to May 2014 with active venous ulcers at time of consolation.

Ashley Wysong

Length of time of patient had the ulcer, the procedure performed and time to ulcer healing were measured.

There were 31 patients (74% men, average age, 66 years) with venous ulceration at presentation. One patient used conservative medical management and healed before surgery. Endovenous laser ablation with a 1,320-nm laser of the great and/or short saphenous veins, in combination with foam sclerotherapy of insufficient varicose and reticular veins and phlebectomy when appropriate were used to treat the other 30 patients.

The median healing time was 55 days from time of first treatment, and 93% of the patients experienced ulcer healing.

There was a median follow-up time of 448 days.

Two patients experienced endovenous heat-induced thrombosis. The patients were treated, and experienced no progression of clot and complete resolution.

“[Endovenous laser ablation] with a 1,320-nm Nd:YAG laser in combination with foam sclerotherapy and phlebectomy as appropriate is an effective treatment of chronic venous ulcers,” the researchers concluded “All [patients] had failed medical management before the initial visit and several had failed previous surgical interventions including surgical vein stripping and allograft placement. Endovenous laser ablation with a 1,320-nm Nd:YAG laser offered a highly effective, low cost, minimally invasive treatment for venous ulcer patients in this study.” – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.