title: Oral administration and external application of Chinese drugs combined with micro-invasive operation for the treatment of varicose ulcers in the lower extremities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical therapeutic effects of oral administration and external application of Chinese drugs combined with micro-invasive surgery for the treatment of varicose ulcers in the lower extremities (ecthyma).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 152 patients (163 limbs) suffering from varicose ulcers on the lower limbs were assigned to two groups according to the patients' willingness. The 102 cases (109 limbs) in the treatment group underwent the method of endovenous microwave closure of communicating veins combined with oral administration and external application of Chinese drugs before and after the operation. The 50 cases (54 limbs) in the control group, were treated with oral administration and external application of Chinese drugs only. Clinical manifestations, including the condition of ulcer healing, the improvement conditions of alogotrophy, edema and other symptoms, were observed before and after 3 months of treatment. The clinical healing rate, the ulcer healing time, and the ulcer recurrence rate, were compared between the two groups. All the patients were followed-up 3 months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The follow-up was carried out for 3 to 42 months (mean 30.5 months). In the treatment group, 99 patients (106 limbs) were clinically cured, and the clinical healing rate was 97.06%; the ulcer healing time was 9-101 days (average 31.25+/-8.28 days) and 3 cases (5 limbs) had recurrence; the ulcer recurrence rate was 5.81%. In the control group, 40 patients (43 limbs) were clinically cured, with a clinical healing rate of 80.00%; the ulcer healing time was 10-152 days (average 50.60+/-12.31 day) and 5 cases (7 limbs) recurred, with the ulcer recurrence rate being 20.59%. The effects in the treatment group were obviously better than those in the control group (P<0.01 or P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The oral administration and external application of Chinese drugs combined with micro-invasive surgery for the treatment of varicose ulcers in the lower extremities has a significant curative effect, with a higher clinical healing rate, shorter ulcer healing time and lower ulcer recurrence rate than either treatment alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China. wxpgzb@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-juan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Shan-shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000628:therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal