Adherence of Patients with Varicose Veins to Compression Therapy

Abstract

Objective: To determine adherence to the implementation of medical recommendations regarding compression therapy within 1 year after receiving them by patients with varicose veins of the lower extremities. Material and methods: A prospective comparative study Patients cOMmitment to coMpression theraPy (POMP) was conducted with the participation of phlebologist surgeons, each of whom included patients with varicose veins of the lower extremities in the study for 5 weeks, who sought consultation and needed compression therapy. Twelve months after the consultation, an outsourced call center conducted a telephone survey of patients in order to obtain information on the specifics of their compliance with the recommendations received. Results: The general registration database of the study contained individual data on 394 patients. 12 months after receiving recommendations on the use of compression hosiery, 246 patients aged 44, 35-55 (Me, IQR) were available for a telephone survey and agreed to complete it. There were 42 men (17.1%), 204 women (82.9%). Among them, class C1 was noted in 32 (13.1%), C2 in 83 (33.7%), C3 in 109 (44.3%), C4 in 20 (8.1%), C6 in 2 (0.8%) patients. 189 patients (76.8%) were compliant with medical recommendations: 110 using compression hosiery and 79 who stopped taking it based on medical recommendations. The number of respondents who noted an improvement in the manifestations of varicose disease was significantly higher in the group of patients who used compression hosiery (p < 0.001). Patients who already had experience with compression therapy (p < 0.001) and patients whose professional activities are associated with heavy physical labor and long-term orthostasis (p = 0.031) were more committed to compression therapy. There were no reliable differences in patient compliance with differences in gender and education level.