Clinical Research Directory

Foam Sclerotherapy With or Without Transdermal Laser for Reticular Veins and Telangiectasias

his prospective, randomized, controlled, intraindividual split-leg clinical trial will compare isolated polidocanol foam sclerotherapy with the Laser After Foam (LAAF) technique for the treatment of reticular veins and telangiectasias of the lower limbs. The study will include 70 women aged 18 to 60 years with bilateral CEAP C1 telangiectasias and/or reticular veins. Each participant will receive LAAF in one lower limb and isolated foam sclerotherapy in the contralateral limb, with treatment laterality determined by randomization. The study will evaluate vascular clearance, residual vascular area, hyperpigmentation, retained thrombi and need for drainage, pain, adverse events, aesthetic improvement, patient satisfaction, and quality of life during follow-up through 180 days.

Effectiveness of a Nursing Intervention Program for Patients Undergoing Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy

Chronic venous disease can cause pain, swelling, functional limitations, and reduced health-related quality of life. Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy is commonly used to treat venous insufficiency. This randomized controlled trial evaluated whether a structured nursing intervention program, in addition to usual care, improved clinical severity and health-related quality of life in adults undergoing ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to usual care or to the nursing intervention program. The program included nursing assessment and education before the procedure, support during treatment, telephone follow-up on the following day, guidance on compression and self-care, access to telephone support, and scheduled follow-up. Clinical severity was assessed using the Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), and health-related quality of life was evaluated using the Chronic Venous Insufficiency Questionnaire (CIVIQ-20). Satisfaction with care was also assessed in the intervention group.

The ReCAna for Lower ExtremIty Venous OBstructions and In-StEnt Restenosis Registry

The goal of this observational study is to gather additional safety and performance (effectiveness) data on the device for the treatment of symptomatic lower extremity venous obstructions and occlusions. The main questions the study aims to answer are: * What is the observed rate of safety events through the 30-day follow-up? * What is the rate of technical success (acute procedural success) achieved at the index procedure? Participants already undergoing treatment with the Recana as part of their regular medical care will be followed for 1 year.

Ruscus Evaluation for Symptom Control in Uncomplicated Chronic Venous Insufficiency

This multicenter, prospective, observational study aims to generate and analyze real-world data on the effectiveness and safety of Ruscus aculeatus L. treatment in patients with symptomatic chronic venous disease classified as CEAP C1-C6. Patients receiving Ruscus aculeatus L. as part of routine clinical practice will be followed for 90 days without any study-mandated intervention. Disease severity will be assessed using the revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (rVCSS), pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), quality of life using the Chronic Venous Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (CIVIQ-20), treatment adherence using the Visual Analog Scale for adherence (VAS-U), and safety through the collection of adverse events during the observation period.

Effect of Photobiomodulation on Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers

Venous leg ulcers are a significant public health problem because of their prolonged duration, high recurrence rates, and economic, social, and quality-of-life effects. Compression therapy is the standard treatment; however, healing may remain slow. Photobiomodulation is being investigated as an adjunctive treatment to promote tissue repair and wound healing. This prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial will evaluate the efficacy of photobiomodulation combined with compression therapy in the healing of lower-limb venous leg ulcers. A total of 102 participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to an Experimental Group (n=51), receiving active photobiomodulation plus compression therapy, or a Control Group (n=51), receiving sham photobiomodulation plus compression therapy. Treatment will be administered twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays for 16 weeks, totaling 32 sessions. The primary outcome will be the percentage reduction in wound volume over 16 weeks, estimated from wound area and depth. Secondary outcomes will include percentage reduction in wound area, change in wound depth, complete wound healing, adverse events, wound quality assessed using the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool, pain intensity and rescue analgesic use, health-related quality of life assessed using the SF-36, clinical severity assessed using the Venous Clinical Severity Score, and direct treatment costs. Wound area will be measured using the ImitoWound® application.

Evaluation of Lymphatic Response to Physiotherapy in Patients With Swelling Associated With Superficial Venous Disease

This study seeks to demonstrate the effect of advanced pneumatic compression in treatment naïve patients with CEAP C3 and C4 chronic venous disease. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does lymphatic treatment improve lymphatic function following \~30 days of advanced pneumatic compression device therapy? * Does lymphatic dysfunction correlate with CEAP score and venous reflux times? Over the course of 30-45 days, participants will undergo two sessions of near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging to assess whether advanced pneumatic compression treatment improves lymphatic (dys)function. Subjects will be divided into two groups, a treated and a control group. Both groups will receive standard-of-care compression bandaging. The treated group will also be asked to complete daily sessions of pneumatic compression therapy at home. At both imaging sessions, duplex ultrasound will also be used to assess venous reflux times. Researchers will compare the changes in lymphatic and venous (dys)function between the two groups to see if lymphatic function improves with pneumatic compression treatment and if they dysfunction is correlated with CEAP clinical score and venous reflux times.

Mobile Phone Thermal Imaging Assessment of Incompetent Perforator Veins

Chronic venous disease is a common disease of the lower limbs. Severe CVD can lead to lower limb swelling, pigmentation, and repeated skin ulceration, which seriously affects patients' quality of life. About 10.5% to 92.7% of CVD patients with recurrent varicose veins had insufficient perforating veins. Treatment of these IPVs can promote venous ulcer healing and reduce the recurrence rate of venous ulcers. Accurate assessment and positioning of insufficient perforating veins in the lower leg is a key step in developing a personalized treatment strategy. At present, Color Doppler ultrasonography performed in the upright position in combination with the Valsalva maneuver or local pressure of the limb is regarded as the "gold standard" for the diagnosis of perforating veins insufficiency. However, in China, a large number of perforating veins insufficiency are diagnosed by venography. Because the majority of Chinese vascular surgeons are not versatile in vascular ultrasound examination and venous ultrasound protocols vary from institution to institution. A non-functioning valve in an insufficient perforated vein allows blood to flow retrograde from a deep vein to a superficial vein. Some researchers have shown that the venous blood temperature of deep veins is higher than that of superficial veins. Thus, the retrograde flow of "warm blood" from the deep vein to the superficial vein increases the skin temperature located on the insufficient perforated vein. This study tested the feasibility of a smartphone and its compatible portable thermal imaging device as a tool for assessing insufficient perforated vein. The objective is to study the sensitivity and specificity of smartphone thermal imaging in diagnosing and locating the insufficient perforated vein in CVD patients.

Outcomes of Different Treatment Options in Chronic Venous Disease

This study aims to describe conservative and invasive treatments for patients with chronic venous disease (CVD) in Belgium, and their association with clinical and patient-reported outcomes during a follow-up of 24 months.