Background
Up until the mid 1980's, leg ulcers were regarded as being almost always incurable. Treatment consisted mainly of assessing the leg for arterial disease and then dressing the ulcers and binding the leg. As about 500,000 people in the UK have recurrent leg ulcers, leg ulcer clinics have been set up and specialist nurses have been employed to perform these treatments.
It seems logical to most people that as the ulcer appears to be a break-down of the skin, creams or dressings put on the skin or ulcer will help the skin or ulcer to heal. As such big medical companies make considerable money from ulcer dressings and so many of them have taken over the 'education' of ulcer nurses, encouraging them to use their products.
However, since the mid 1980's the world of leg ulcers changed due to new research and a new understanding of the condition.
For those with Leg Ulcers
Research at that time showed that somewhere between 40% and 60% of leg ulcers could be CURED by appropriate surgery. Further research in the 1990's has confirmed that some leg ulcers are completely cured by such surgery. These patients, once they have been cured, no longer need dressings or leg binding.
Unfortunately, for many different reasons this research is not widely known about and as a result there are a great many people in the community suffering needlessly from constant dressings and leg binding - not being given the chance of a cure.
For those at risk of Leg Ulcers
The same research and understanding has shown that there are a large number of people who are at risk of leg ulcers for the same underlying reasons. Correct investigation and treatment of these people will prevent the formation of the leg ulcers and will allow damaged or discoloured skin at the ankle to heal.
