Summary
A repeatedly recurring venous leg ulcer was treated with Accel-Heal. The wound healed 13 weeks after Accel-Heal therapy. No recurrence of this previously challenging wound was observed for at least two years after therapy.
Before Accel-Heal
A 46- year old, self-caring patient with a history of repeatedly recurring venous leg ulcers presented with a fourth recurring ulcer which had been present for several weeks. The wound had recurred despite wearing class 3 compression hosiery. The patient had suffered a past fracture to his left tibia and a left deep vein thrombosis following a road traffic accident in 1989 and was unsuitable for venous surgery.
At presentation, he was suffering from depression and was unable to return to work, seeing “no future” for himself “with these recurring wounds”. The wound measured approximately 8cm2 and was not painful.
During treatment with Accel-Heal
The 12-day Accel-Heal therapy was started with a primary goal of kick-starting wound healing. A secondary goal was to improve the quality of healing to reduce the risk of future recurrence.
Along-side Accel-Heal, wounds were managed with standard moist wound healing and graduated high compression bandaging and dressings were changed twice weekly.
Figure 1. Medial left malleolus on 17/12/13 the start of Accel-Heal
Figure 2. Medial left malleolus on 25/03/14. Wound healed
Results
The wound was noted to be completely healed within 13 weeks. The wound remained healed for at least two years after the Accel-Heal therapy, at which point the patient was lost to follow up.