title: Post-thrombotic leg ulcer and its surgical treatment.
abstract: The post-thrombotic syndrome is a complex disease to whose development at least three factors contribute: (1) incompetence of the venous valvular system; (2) opening of the local arteriovenous shunts; and (3) disturbances in the lymphatic system. Our surgical treatment considers all three factors by providing: (1) stripping of the saphenous veins; (2) wide excision of the ulcerated region with the fascia, followed by immediate skin graft; and (3) large excision of subcutaneous tissue and fascia. Of fifty-one patients with chronic post-thrombic leg ulcers operated on according to these principles, only one had recurrence, a recurrence rate of only 0.5%. This compares favorably with other published results.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000150:complications*