title: What's new: Management of venous leg ulcers: Treating venous leg ulcers.
abstract: Venous leg ulcers account for approximately 70% of all leg ulcers and affect 2.2 million Americans annually. After a comprehensive patient and wound assessment, compression therapy remains the cornerstone of standard care. Adjuvant care with topical or systemic agents is used for wounds that do not heal within 4 weeks. Once healed, long-term compression therapy with stockings or surgical intervention will reduce the incidence of recurrence. This continuing medical education article aims to outline optimal management for patients with venous leg ulcers, highlighting the role of a multidisciplinary team in delivering high quality care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Dermatology), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: afsaneh.alavi@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Afsaneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Dermatology), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R Gary
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Sibbald
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Tania J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: O Fred
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marston
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romanelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kirsner
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D058128:Compression Bandages; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: management; medical therapy; surgical intervention; varicose veins; venous leg ulcers