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Venous Leg Ulcer Treatment

A venous leg ulcer, formed when sores develop in damaged veins, can bring pain and discomfort, especially if the ulcer is infected. While common, they can be costly to treat. One method to treat a venous leg ulcer is to use compression treatment.

  1. Uninfected Ulcers

    • The venous leg ulcer compression treatment should only be performed by medical professionals. The doctor or nurse cleans the ulcer and surrounding area using water or a salt solution. After gently drying the area, the doctor removes dead tissue from the venous leg ulcer. Sometimes a surgery technique called debridement is required for removal of all the dead tissue, which involves using a small vacuum device to suck debris out of joints.

      Following the cleaning, the doctor will use a two-layer or four-layer non-adhesive dressing to compress the venous leg ulcer. Two-layer dressings are for active patients, while four-layer dressings are for immobile patients. The compression treatment works by putting constant pressure on the ulcer. The dressing compresses the ulcer, correcting blood circulation, which helps to heal the ulcer.

      Improvement with the venous leg ulcer should be seen two to three months into the compression treatment. Patients must visit the doctor on a weekly basis to change the dressing and monitor the ulcer's progress. As the patient improves, the frequency decreases to once a month. If progress continues, the patient's check-ups will be reduced to once or twice a year.

    Infected Ulcers

    • Infected venous leg ulcers require an extra step in the compression treatment process. After the ulcer is cleaned, a doctor will swab the ulcer to identify the infection. He then prescribes antibiotics, which usually take a week to eliminate the infection. During that week, the patient must visit the doctor daily or every other day so the doctor can monitor the progress. Once the infection is gone, the patient can proceed to the dressing stage of compression treatment.

    Reoccurence

    • Venous leg ulcers have a tendency to reoccur. To lower the risk of a returning ulcer, wear compression stockings, which prevent swelling in damaged veins. Compression stockings are available through a doctor's prescription. As of October 2009, compression stockings ranged from $50 to $125. Also, maintan doctor visits so he can monitor any kind of ulcer activity.

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