Short-term compression therapy in chronic vein disease without trophic disorders: possibilities of medical compression knitwear

Abstract

Introduction. Medical compression stockings are one of the main methods in a conservative strategy for the treatment of chronic vein diseases as well as for adjuvant treatment after superficial venous interventions. however, compliance to this treatment is low.Objective. To evaluate patient satisfaction with medical compression knitwear therapy in a short-term follow-up.Materials and мethods. The study included 150 patients of both sexes aged 42 ± 8.3 years. Endovenous laser obliteration combined with mini-phlebectomy and/or sclerotherapy for varicose veins was performed. All patients after the surgery wore compression stockings of compression class 2 with a recommended wearing period of 14 days. At the control visit at the end of the follow-up period all patients were asked to complete a satisfaction survey with a specially prepared questionnaire including 7 questions.Results and discussion. No significant adverse events and complications related to either the invasive intervention or the compression therapy were observed during the follow-up period. There were no abnormalities such as compression sensations or changes in blood flow under the knitwear. The compression was totally adequate, with no areas of over- and/or under-compression. All respondents felt that the knitwear was well anchored to the leg and no slipping or twisting due to the wide elastic band with droplet silicone. In addition to all of the above, the patients noted that the knitwear offered to them in the study had good tactile properties: it was soft and pleasant to the skin. According to the survey, the average score for all questions was 9.5 (QR 8-10).Conclusion. Elastic compression is an effective and safe means of preventing adverse events, complications and pain in patients after superficial varicose veins surgery. Additional consumer properties of medical compression knitwear can significantly influence patients’ compliance and therefore the effectiveness of treatment.

Keywords

• chronic venous disease
• varicose veins
• compression therapy
• compliance to treatment
• endovenous laser obliteration
• medical compression knitwear