EVLT course and workshop - November 2012

The 2 day EVLT (Endovenous laser treatment) for varicose veins is being held this Thursday and Friday at The Whiteley Clinic in Guildford.

Mark Whiteley teaching on the theoretical session of the EVLT course and
workshop run at The Whiteley Clinic and sponsored by Angiodynamics

Sponsored by Angiodynamics, the course involves lectures by Leading Veins Surgeon Mark Whiteley and Chief Vascular Technologist, Judy Holdstock.

Judy Holdstock teaching on the theoretical session of the EVLT course and
workshop run at The Whiteley Clinic and sponsored by Angiodynamics

The course involves lectures, a "hands on" workshop - and on the second day, live cases with 2 way discussion via HD cameras and a video link, courtesy of The Clinical Exchange.

http://www.theclinicalexchange.com/

New Member on Council of The Venous Forum

Mark Whiteley was delighted today to be invited to sit on the Council of the Venous Forum.

The Venous Forum is a section of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) and is the UK’s national venous professional group.

With a Spring Meeting each year in April and a combined meeting at the Vascular Society in November, the Venous Forum currently presents venous surgery in the UK.

Mark Whiteley looks forwards to his time on the Council and hopes to use the position to increase interest and understanding in Venous Disease and Venous Treatments, as well as to help promote the good work of the Venous Forum. 
  
http://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/fmtvenou.php

Guest Speaker on Veins at The Venous Forum



Mark Whiteley is a guest speaker at The Venous Forum section
of The Vascular Society AGM

Mark Whiteley is a guest speaker tomorrow at The Venous Forum Section of The Vascular Society AGM in Manchester.

His talk is entitled:

"How should we define an incompetent perforator, when are they relevant, when should treat them, and how?"
Mark S Whiteley

Hyperbaric Oxygen diving tank for Leg Ulcers - but only some

A report in the Daily Mail today shows the benefit of hyperbaric oxygen - or the "Diving Tank" - for non-healing leg wounds - or "leg ulcers" as they call them ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2238941/The-diving-tank-heal-leg-ulcers--help-migraines-too.html ).

Hyperbaric oxygen from a "Diving Tank" is very useful for such chronic wounds - but unfortunately the article doesn't make clear that they are talking about a very small number of leg ulcers.

Of the 500,000 people in the UK who keep getting leg ulcers, the vast majority (some 80-90%) are due to Venous Problems - Venous Leg Ulcers.

In these people, the "Diving Tank" has no benefit. The best way to treat these is to perform local anaesthetic surgery to the veins - not only healing the leg ulcers but stopping them from comming back again.

In our latest published research on leg ulcers, we cured 84% of leg ulcers by local anaesthetic vein surgery.


Phlebology. 2012 Jul 25. [Epub ahead of print]
Healing rates following venous surgery for chronic venous leg ulcers in an independent specialist vein unit.
Thomas CA, Holdstock JM, Harrison CC, Price BA, Whiteley MS.

Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:
This is a retrospective study over 12 years reporting the healing rates of leg ulcers at a specialist vein unit. All patients presented with active chronic venous leg ulcers (clinical, aetiological, anatomical and pathological elements [CEAP]: C6) and had previously been advised elsewhere that their ulcers were amenable to conservative measures only.
METHOD:
Seventy-two patients (84 limbs) were treated between March 1999 and June 2011. Patients were contacted in August 2011 by questionnaire and telephone. Of 72 patients, two were deceased and two had moved location at follow-up, so were not contactable. Fifty patients replied and 18 did not (response rate 74%), representing a mean follow-up time of 3.1 years.
RESULTS:
Ulcer healing occurred in 85% (44 of 52 limbs) of which 52% (27) limbs were no longer confined to compression. Clinical improvement was achieved in 98% of limbs.
CONCLUSIONS:
This study shows that a significant proportion of ulcers currently managed conservatively can be healed by surgical intervention.

www.legulcers.co.uk

Dr Martin Scurr forgot surgery can cure Leg Ulcers

In an article yesterday in The Daily Mail, GP Dr Martin Scurr answered a question about leg ulcers (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2235427/Ask-doctor-Whats-best-way-prevent-leg-ulcer.html).

In it, he quite correctly pointes out that leg ulcers can be cured by compression dressing and that they almost always come back again, needing continual compression.

What he didn't mention was the results of the ESCHAR study showing that surgery to the veins of the legs is just as effective in curing venous leg ulcers, but also prevents them coming back.

In our own research, we have cured 84% of leg ulcers - and 50% never need to wear compression ever again.

www.legulcers.co.uk

Mark Whiteley wins veins debate in New York

The Veith Symposium 2012 - New York

This morning, Mark Whiteley was involved in a debate against Steve Elias from the USA. The debate was about whether vein surgeons should treat perforator veins or not.

Mark Whiteley and Judy Holdstock from The Whiteley Clinic invented the method of ablating incompetent perforating veins in 2001 - their technique being called "TRLOP" - or TRansLuminal Occlusion of Perforators.

Steve Elias then subsequently renamed the technique "PAPS" - Perforator Ablation Procedure.

The debate lined up as:

• Perforator Ablation IS Overused  - Steve Elias
• Perforator Ablation IS NOT Overused - Mark Whiteley

The debate from Steve Elias was that he accepted that Incompetent Perforator Veins need to be ablated - nut only selectively.

Mark Whiteley argued that there is very good evidence that Incompetent Perforator Veins can be treated, reduce recurrence of ulcers and excellent circumstantial evidence that NOT treating them is a major cause of recurrent varicose veins.

The audience vote was decisive - 90% agreed with Mark Whiteley that Perforator Ablation is NOT overused.

This is excellent support from international vein experts who agree with one of the most important differences in the treatment for varicose veins and leg ulcers that The Whiteley Clinic and The Whiteley Protocol offers over that offered by most vein doctors and clinics.

Leg ulcer report in Daily Mail misses point

Today a report in The Daily Mail (link below) reported on new research showing that a "mesh" of skin cells can help to cure leg ulcers.

Although this, and anything else that helps leg ulcers, is of great value, the article missed the most important point about curing leg ulcers:

- If you find out the underlying cause and cure that, then the leg ulcers will heal by themselves in the majority of patients.

Most leg ulcers in the UK are caused by venous reflux ("hidden varicose veins"). If everyone who had a leg ulcer has a duplex ultrasound scan, and then those with venous problems were fixed, and the few with arterial problems were also fixed, then the majority of leg ulcers would heal without needing such new techniques.

This new technique is only needed for those ulcers that we can't heal  ....  The problem that should be shouted about in the national media isn't the need for a new product, but WHY AREN'T PEOPLE WITH LEG ULCERS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR VENOUS DISEASE AND OFFERED CURATIVE SURGERY?

For more information see: www.legulcers.co.uk

Daily Mail Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2228348/Leg-ulcers-How-tiny-scaffolding-end-misery.html