Understanding Venous Insufficiency: When Leg Swelling Leads to Chronic Wounds

Do you Have Swelling in Your Lower Legs or Ankles?

Lower leg swelling accounts for approximately 70% of lower leg wounds. The swelling typically goes down when a person is in bed sleeping but increases again during the day when legs are down or a person is required to stand for prolonged periods of time. This condition is known as Venous Insufficiency.

Signs and symptoms include: Lower leg swelling (below the knee) in one or both legs, itchiness, blisters, open wounds that often don’t want to heal or heal and reoccur, weeping wounds or skin, cellulitis, heaviness or fatigued feeling in the lower legs, varicosed or spider veins, dry flakey skin or plaques, discoloration of the skin from red to dark brown. Often wounds occur around the ankle area but can be anywhere on the lower leg.

Treatment: An ultrasound venous duplex study may be recommended by the provider and results will be discussed, along with the treatment options. Other treatments include wound care, antibiotics when needed, compression, referral to a vascular specialist if required, walking and calf pump exercises. Some wounds require advanced treatments such as skin grafts that can be done at the Advanced Wound Center. Once wounds are healed, a maintenance compression program is established so patients can manage venous insufficiency at home to prevent recurrence of wounds and associated complications.

Individuals who are treated at a wound center health more quickly, preventing complications such as cellulitis, lymphedema, varicosed veins and reoccurring ulcers.

For more information, call the Advanced Wound Center at Sharon Regional at 724-347-0870 or visit Expert Care at Sharon Regional Wound Center