Outcomes of iliofemoral venous stenting in women with venous ulcers

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of suprainguinal venous interventions in the management of venous ulceration, after the elimination of infrainguinal superficial venous reflux, is currently ill-defined. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the role of venous stenting and prior infrainguinal superficial vein interventions in the management of patients with nonhealing and/or recurrent venous ulcers. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of prospectively collected data from November 2019 to December 2024 on nonhealing or recurrent venous ulcer female patients treated with iliac vein stenting. Patient demographics, Revised Venous Clinical Severity Score, visual analog scale scores, number and types of superficial vein procedures in the index and contralateral limbs before stenting, ulcer size, duration, time to healing, reintervention rates, and types of reinterventions were assessed. RESULTS: , stent diameters reduction was 15.3 ± 1.2 mm, stent lengths reduction was 133.6 ± 25 mm, and the average number of reinterventions was 9 out of the 50 patients (18%). The average time to reintervention was 18.3 ± 18.3 months. Stent types were 30 Venovo, 19 Abre, and 1 Wallstent. CONCLUSIONS: Venous ulcer patients have chronic disease, with the majority reporting undergoing superficial interventions for 2 to 4 years before stenting. After iliac vein stenting, 60% of ulcers demonstrated complete ulcer healing, with 80% of those healed by 1 year. Ulcer healing is directly related to ulcer size and is associated with improved healing when infrainguinal superficial reflux is eliminated.