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Superficial venous reflux is commonly found in people with chronic venous ulceration, leading to the possibility that surgical treatment of incompetent venous valves might help in treating recurrent venous ulcers. British investigators randomly assigned 500 people with open or recently healed venous ulcers and venous reflux (superficial only, or both superficial and deep) to be treated either with compression bandages alone (258 patients) or with compression bandages plus surgical removal (or disconnection) of incompetent superficial veins (242 patients). Outcomes were assessed for up to 4 years.
Ulcer healing rates at 3 years were similar in the two groups: 89% for compression and 93% for compression plus surgery. Ulcer recurrence rates at …