New guidelines help interventional cardiologists manage chronic venous disease
Chronic venous disease (CVD) is an increasingly common vascular condition associated with leg discomfort, heaviness, edema, discoloration and ulceration. In fact, venous leg ulcers are found in approximately 2.2% of all Medicare beneficiaries, resulting in an annual payer burden of nearly $15 billion—and those numbers are more than 10 years old now.[1]
While some CVD patients can be treated with compression therapy or other conservative techniques, others may require a more invasive approach. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) has crafted new practice guidelines designed to help interventional cardiologists and other healthcare providers manage these patients.
The new document, published in full in JSCAI, was developed through a collaboration of interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons.[2]
“These guidelines reflect SCAI’s commitment to bringing high-quality, evidence-based standards to areas where our members are increasingly practicing,” SCAI President Srihari S. Naidu, MD, said in a statement. “As interventional cardiologists take a larger role in managing chronic venous disease, a common problem affecting millions of people, these recommendations will help ensure that patient care remains both consistent and personalized. SCAI is proud to support this milestone publication and its vision of advancing patient outcomes through collaboration across disciplines, which ultimately increases the quality and quantity of patient access to much-needed treatment options.”
The new guidelines cover a variety of treatments—compression therapy, wound care, ablation therapy, sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, venoplasty and stenting—and emphasize that it remains as important as ever to address lifestyle changes with patients to help reduce the potential health risks associated with obesity. In addition, two treatment algorithms are included to help guide clinicians through real-world patient encounters.
“These are the first SCAI guidelines focused on CVD, and they come at a time of increasing recognition of the burden it places on patients and healthcare systems,” Robert Attaran, MD, MBBS, chair of the guideline writing committee and a member of the SCAI Vascular Disease Council, said in the same statement. “CVD may present with discomfort, heaviness and swelling, but it can progress to venous ulcers that are difficult to heal and severely impair quality of life. Our recommendations aim to provide clinicians and patients with a roadmap for personalized, evidence-informed care.”
The Society for Vascular Medicine has officially endorsed these recommendations.
Click here for the full document.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.