Abstract: Introduction: Disturbances of the venous circulation are some of the most
familiar clinical entities. In the present study, we attempt to bring out the
possibilities of the primary health care physicians to the convenient diagnosis
and confrontation of the leg venous insufficiency’s preoperative stages.
Methods: 54 women and 3 men from an isolated mountainous region of a
Greek island, aged between 35 and 85 (mean: 69,8 years) participated at the
study. They presented various symptoms of chronic venous dysfunction of
the lower limbs (from the initial stages until the appearance of varicose and
leg ulcers). All the patients, after a reception of a fully detailed background
and physical examination, were categorized in a base of their clinical situation
according to VDS scale (Venous Disability Score), which constituted also a
useful tool for the follow-up process. The study’s duration was one year.
Results: From the 57 patients, 15 were free of pathologic symptoms and
the real reason of their attendance was other else (knee or ankle osteoarthritis,
sciatica and swelling caused from lower limb injuries). From the 42 symptomatic,
13 presented a combination of some musculoskeletal disease with venous
dysfunction, 4 developed venous insufficiency postoperatively (one man after
internal fixation of a bimalleolar fracture and 3 women after cancer surgery)
and the remainder 25 patients suffered from pure chronic venous insufficiency.
The treatment consisted to oral medication local application of heparinoids
in combination with materials that provide graded compression, such as bandages or special socks and physiotherapy, while 9 patients with advanced
insufficiency were referred to a specialist for further evaluation.
Discussion: As it results, the 84,2% of patients suffering from low to
moderate venous insufficiency was managed effectively while the 15,8% of
them with severe insufficiency needed the intervention of a vascular surgeon.
With the numbers available, everyone can realize that the management of leg
chronic venous dysfunction’s preoperative stages at the primary health care
setting is feasible.