Stockholm, Sweden
Researchers at the Department of Vascular Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden have published a research article entitled "Mid-term outcome of endovenous laser ablation in patients with active and healed venous stasis ulcers: a follow-up study".
The article is published in the Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2017 Apr 10.
The aim of the study is as indicated in the title. Consecutive patients treated with EVLA because of a healed or active venous ulcer between 2006 and 2013 were identified and studied. The mean follow-up time was 41 months (range 14-89 months).
The average age was 66.6 years (range 36-87 years). All 86 legs operated on for an active ulcer had this ulcer healed sometime between the operation and the study examination, but thereafter it recurred in 16%.
In 109 legs operated on for a healed ulcer, the ulcer recurred in 16%.
Complications such as permanent sensory loss were seen in 8% and deep venous thrombosis in 1%.
Reduced ankle mobility was a risk factor for recurrence in both univariate and multivariate analysis (p < 0.05).
These midterm results demonstrate that endovenous laser ablation of SVI in patients with healed or active venous ulcers achieves good healing and low ulcer recurrence rates, with a low rate of complications and an acceptable re-intervention rate.
Dr. Karamanoukian's note: In our practice, sensory less is exceedingly rare because ablations are done in the awake patient with tumescent anesthesia.