Complex endovascular procedure performed on a 78-yr-old in Chennai

CHENNAI: A complex hybrid endovascular procedure was performed on a 78-year-old patient who suffered from post-thrombotic syndrome that impacted him significantly and disabled him.

He suffered from a chronic non-healing ulcer in the left leg and ankle region along with recurrent infection, edema, and pain. He was treated successfully at a private hospital in the city with the help of a minimally invasive surgical procedure.

The chronic ulcer in the patient's leg was followed by deep vein thrombosis which occurred a decade back. The venous ulcers usually occur in the lower part of the leg and can have a profound impact on a patient’s quality of life, leading to fatal consequences.

Venous leg ulcers can be resistant to healing and can last for more than 6 weeks. Active venous ulcers can be a major source of distress to patients causing physical limitation, social isolation, and increased health risk in patients with other co-morbid conditions.

A team of doctors led by Balakumar Senior Consultant Vascular surgeon, at Apollo Spectra Hospital performed a surgical endophlebectomy, which is a procedure done in the vein and a venous stent was placed in a single setting, which expedited ulcer healing in the left lower limb within 3 weeks post operative.

Dr Balakumar said that we need to focus more on venous disorders, which affects at least 25 percent of the population, as per a recent study by the hospital. He said that early treatment for leg ulcers leads to better patient outcomes.

Advanced venous disease accounts for close to 70 percent of leg ulcers and the advancements in treatments nowadays offer minimally invasive techniques for treatment and are effective in preventing the recurrence of such wounds."