Nonoperative Management of Venous Ulcers and the Emerging Role of Bioengineered Skin Substitutes

Abstract

Chronic venous ulcers are a common medical problem that have a dramatic medical, economic, and psychosocial impact on patients. Nonoperative therapy has been proven to be effective in controlling the symproms of chronic venous insufficiency and promoting healing of chronic venous leg ulcers. The mainstays of nonoperative treatment continue to be leg elevation and compression therapy. Recently, bioengineered skin substitutes, ranging from an epidermal or dermal layer to a bilayered living skin construct, have been developed to aid in local wound healing and represent an added nonoperative treatment option for venous ulcers.