Quality of Life in Patients with Venous Leg Ulcers Treated by Means of Local Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or Local Ozone Therapy—A Single Center Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Venous leg ulcers pose a significant medical problem worldwide. The complexity of the problem determines the need for further interdisciplinary activities that will improve the quality of life for treated patients. This study compared the quality of life of patients with venous leg ulcers who received local hyperbaric oxygen therapy or local ozone therapy procedures as part of comprehensive treatment. Materials and Methods: The study included 129 patients (62 men and 57 women) with venous leg ulcers. Group I underwent local hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and Group II underwent local ozone therapy (OZONE). In both groups, the patients’ quality of life was assessed before the start of the treatment cycle, as well as 10 weeks and 6 months after the completion of the treatment, by means of the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and the Polish shortened version of the SF-36 scale. Results: After completing the respective therapeutic cycle, both groups showed statistically significant (p p p = 0.043). However, in the SF-36 assessment performed 6 months after the end of treatment, better results—a statistically significantly lower value of the quality of life index—were recorded in the group of patients treated with local ozone therapy (103.13 ± 15.76 points vs. 109.89 ± 15.42 points, p Conclusions: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and local ozone therapy procedures have a beneficial effect on improving the quality of life of patients with venous leg ulcers.

Keywords

• quality of life
• ozone therapy
• local hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• venous leg ulcers
• treatment
• hard-to-heal wounds