Estimation of quality of life after operative treatment for venous trophic ulcers of the lower extremities

Abstract

Objective. To study the patients’ quality of life after operative interventions, performed for venous trophic ulcers of the lower extremities. Маterials and methods. Analysis of data from 82 hospital cards of stationary patients was conducted. The patients were treated during 2010 - 2017 yrs in the Department of Vascular Surgery of Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital named after М. V. Sklifosovskyi for venous trophic ulcers of the lower extremities (Class С5 in accordance to Clinical-Etiological-Anatomical-Pathophysiological classification - СЕАР). The cause of trophic ulcers occurrence in all the patients was confirmed, using ultrasound duplex scanning of pelvic and the lower extremities arteries and veins. After conduction of certain conservative therapy the operative intervention, directed on elimination of the occurrence cause of trophic ulcers, was done. In all the patients the conduction of endovenous thermal ablations was not indicated, taking into account the anatomic peculiarities presented. Depending on the methods of operative interventions performed, the patients were distributed into two groups: Group I - 48 (58.5%) patients, surgical treatment of whom consisted of typical conventional open operative interventions, using a standard set of instruments, while Group II - 34 (41.5%) patients, to whom operative interventions were done, using elaborated own gadgets for the wounds edges opening, dissection and ligation of perforant and large subcutaneous veins, nontraumatic suturing of postoperative wounds. All operative interventions in the Group II patients were performed, using ultrasonographic support. In patients of both Groups a subjective estimation of quality of life was conducted, using questionnaire CIVIQ (Chronic Insufficiency Venous International Questions) for interviewing preoperatively and in 1, 3 and 6 mo postoperatively. Results. In accordance to data obtained, in patients of Group II the score in points of quality of life was higher, because in them the ulcers have healed faster, the pain sensation reduced, resulting in the psycho-emotional state improvement. Besides this, 29 (85.3%) patients of Group II have noted, that even while some symptoms persisted, their subjective signs reduced, leading to the well-being improvement. The conduction of treatment in accordance to own procedures proposed have promoted the raising of the quality of life score in patients, suffering trophic ulcers of the lower extremities. Conclusion. Application of gadgets of own elaboration during operative intervention on venous system of the lower extremities accelerates its performance and reduces traumaticity. This leads to reduction of the pain sensitivity intensity, raising of subjective estimation of quality of life in remote postoperative period.

Keywords

• venous trophic ulcers; venous varicosities; оperative treatment; complications; quality of life.