Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is a disease characterized by elevated pressures in the leg veins. Signs and symptoms include leg swelling, pain, and open wounds (leg ulcers). Deep Vein Reflux (DVR) is one of a few underlying causes of CVI and involves the failure of venous valves in the legs, leading to poor blood flow back to the heart. It is estimated that about 6.5M Americans 1 have DVR and moderate to severe CVI. The current standard of care for DVR is palliative, involving compression therapy, leg elevation and local wound care. Unfortunately, these methods do not address the underlying problem of deep vein valve failure, and compression therapy is associated with low rates of patient compliance. 1 With no good treatment options, DVR patients tend to progress toward the most severe symptoms, including skin breakdown and chronic ulcers. 2 These symptoms have a significant impact not only on these patients’ quality of life, but also on the U.S. healthcare system due to costly hospitalizations and wound care; venous ulceration accounts for ~0.5% of all U.S. healthcare spending. 3 4

 

1.  Raju S, Hollis K, Neglen P. Use of compression stockings in chronic venous disease: patient compliance and efficacy. Ann Vasc Surg 2007;21:790–5

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2. Maurins U. Hoffmann BH, Losch C, Jockel K-H, Rabe E, Pannier F. Distribution and prevalence of reflux in the superficial and deep venous system in the general population – results from the Bonn Vein Study, Germany. J. Vasc Surg. 2008;48:680-87.

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3. J. Bradford Rice, et al. Burden of venous leg ulcers in the United States, Journal of Medical Economics. 2014; 17:5, 347-356

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4.  CMS.gov (2015 numbers)