High voltage stimulation for healing acceleration of venous leg ulcers - Usefulness after surgical treatment

Aim: Evaluation of the usefulness of high voltage stimulation (HVS) for enhanced healing of the venous leg ulcers in patients after surgical treatment. Patients, material, methods: 60 patients with venous leg ulcers were included into this study. They were operated by modified Babcock' method. Then, all patients were randomly divided into the two comparative groups, A and B. Each group consisted of 30 patients. They were treated with identical drug therapy. The ulcerations of patients in group A were additionally treated with the HVS (100 mu s, 100 Hz, 100 V) for 50 minutes daily, 6 times a week for 7 weeks. We evaluated, if the HVS caused any changes to the number of healed ulcers and to the total surface area, isolated areas (covered with pus or granulation), length and width dimensions and to the volume of defective tissue. Results: After therapy a statistically significant decrease in the number of healed ulcers, surface area, linear dimensions and volume of ulcers in both groups occurred. There was no significant difference between the two groups. These changes were accompanied by statistically more efficient reduction of pus-covered area and greater promotion of granulation area in group A. But above changes did not influence on acceleration of therapy and final degree of wound healing. Conclusion: In our study HVS had no accelerating effect on healing of the venous leg ulcers in patients after surgical treatment.