Early treatment for leg ulcers gets patients back on their feet

Treating leg ulcers within two weeks by closing faulty veins improves healing by 12% compared to standard treatment, according to new findings. The research, led by Imperial College London and funded by the National Institute for Health Research , studied 450 UK patients with the most common type of leg ulcers known as venous ulcers. These ulcers are caused by bad circulation in the lower leg and often due to faulty veins in the leg called varicose veins. These allow blood to flow in the wrong direction - towards the lower legs and feet. This causes blood pressure to rises in veins in the lower leg, and these vessels swell and damage the skin. Leg ulcers can significantly impact on a patient's quality of life, and in severe cases can lead to someone losing part of their limb Professor Alun Davies Study author This leads to painful open sores that take many months to heal, or in some cases never heal. It is estimated that the NHS manages 731,000 leg ulcers each year, the majority of which are venous.