Venous Leg Ulcer (VLU) solutions

Approximately 1% of the western population is affected by Venous Leg Ulcers (VLU).¹ This chronic condition can have a devastating impact on an individual’s physical and emotional well-being.² People living with chronic edema and VLUs want to engage fully in everyday activities — without feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious about what’s on their legs and feet. 3M can help manage challenges related to VLUs.

Every wound is unique and may require a cascading approach to treatment. It has been demonstrated that early initiation* of our Negative Pressure Wound Therapy can reduce time to significant closure by up to 50% for acute wounds and 67% for chronic wounds.** We also offer a full suite of Advanced Wound Dressings and Skin Integrity Solutions to help your patients complete their journey to healing.

*Defined as treatment within the first 7 days for acute wound and 30 days for chronic wounds from the first wound treatment date.
** Based on a retrospective analysis conducted on a national insurance provider’s medical claims data, which examined 6,181 acute and 1,480 chronic wound patients that received NPWT from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011.

$14.9B in care costs

The annual cost to treat VLUs in the U.S. is estimated to be $14.9 billion³.
55% recurrence

55% of healed VLUs reoccur within the first 12 months of closure⁴.
28% of patients

28% of patients experience >10 VLU episodes in their lifetime⁵.

The ABC Model for Leg Ulcer Management

In 2015 Wounds International published a simplified approach to Venous Leg Ulcer care.⁷ The consensus document simplified assessment and management of Venous Leg Ulcers into three mains steps, or an 'ABC' model of care.⁷

Regular Reassessment

Assessment and Diagnosis

Regular Reassessment

A comprehensive assessment should be taken to ascertain past medical history, current mobility, pain levels and nutrition, home and work environments, caregiver/family involvement and patient concerns.
Management (including education)

Best Practices

Management Best Practices

Reducing the pain and discomfort of VLUs includes best practice skin and wound care and managing chronic edema, which can help in managing VLUs.
Management (including education)

Best Practices

Management Best Practices

Reducing the pain and discomfort of VLUs includes best practice skin and wound care and managing chronic edema, which can help in managing VLUs.
Management (including education)

Compression Therapy
Management Using Compression Therapy

3M™ Coban™ 2 Two-Layer Compression System provides sustained, therapeutic compression for up to seven days,12 which has been shown to reduce chronic edema, support healing,12,13 reduce wound size,12 and significantly reduce leg pain.12 3M™ Coban™ 2 Compression Systems are easy to apply14 and are less bulky compared to four-layer compression systems.12,13
- Compression is therapeutic when sufficient pressure is applied. Too little pressure will minimize the benefits and too much pressure may cause damage or not be tolerated by the patient. Our compression layer is designed to be applied at full stretch, eliminating guesswork.
- The thin, lightweight materials create a breathable sleeve that allows patients to wear their own shoes and clothing. Because the bandages are comfortable to wear, patients are more likely to keep them on, increasing concordance and the potential for effective treatment.15,16
- Our patented, interlocking materials adhere to each other, creating an inelastic sleeve that gently grips the skin and reduces the potential for uncomfortable slipping or bunching.13,15

Solutions for Managing Chronic Edema and VLUs

DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE (PDF, 1.20 MB)

NOTE: Specific instructions, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and safety information exist for these products and therapies, some of which may be Rx only. Please consult a clinician and product instruction for use prior to application.

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Learn more about VLUs

Explore our educational materials

What you should know about venous leg ulcers (PDF, 778 KB)
Application of 3M™ Coban™ 2 Two-Layer Compression Systems
3M™ Coban™ 2 Two-Layer Compression System Brochure (PDF, 320 KB)
Venous Leg Ulcers and Compression Therapy (PDF, 1.69 MB)

This infographic explores the patient risk factors for VLUs, introduces the ABCs of VLU management and explores treatment best practices
Is it Time to Give Your Old VLU Treatment the Boot? (PDF, 301.9 KB)

This Surgical Products article discusses why an updated approach to treating VLUs may lead to better patient outcomes.
Simplifying Venous Leg Ulcer Management

To drive understanding and wider adoption of compression therapy, an international group of experts developed a simplified approach presented in this document.

A doctor wearing a stethoscope, speaking with a patient.

Get the answers you need.

Contact a 3M Account Representative

Where Practice Meets Perspective

Whether it is developing a deeper understanding of the lymphatic system and edema or learning about venous leg ulcer best practices and compression therapy, these videos provide practical tips and education from global thought leaders in advanced wound care.

3M℠ Health Care Academy

Get free continuing education and deepen your understanding of VLUs/Compression Therapy.

Practical Perspectives: Understanding Venous Leg Ulcers and the Importance of Compression Therapy

Article from Ostomy Wound Management exploring common clinical misperceptions surrounding VLUs and the role of compression therapy in treatment.

December 1, 1901 Practical Perspectives: Understanding Venous Leg Ulcers and the Importance of Compression Therapy
Advances in Compression Therapy for Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers

Learn how wound care clinicians can help patients living with VLUs reduce their risk of recurrence through the use of evidence-based compression best practices.

December 1, 1901 Advances in Compression Therapy for Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers

NOTE: Specific indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions and safety information exist for these products and therapies, some of which may be Rx only. Please consult a clinician and product instruction for use prior to application.

References

1. Simka, M. & Majewski, E. Am J Clin Dermatol (2003) 4: 573. https://doi.org/10.2165/00128071-200304080-00007.
2. Brem H, Kirsner RS, Falanga V. Protocol for the successful management of venous ulcers. Am J Surg 2004 Jul; 188 (1A Suppl):1-8.
3. Rice JB, Desai U, Cummings AKG, Birnbaum HG, Skornicki M, et al. (2014). Burden of venous leg ulcers in the United States. Journal of medical economics, 17(5), 347–356.
4. Finlayson K, et al. Predicting the likelihood of venous leg recurrence: The diagnostic accuracy of a newly developed risk assessment tool. Int Wound. 2018: 1–9.
5. Weller C, Buchbinder R, Johnston R. Interventions for helping people adhere to compression treatments for venous leg ulceration (Review). Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2013; 9.
6. Harding K. Challenging passivity in venous leg ulcer care — the ABC model of management. Int Wound J. 2016; doi: 10.;1111/iwj.1260
7. Mosti, G.; Crespi, A.; Mattaliano, V. Comparison Between a new, Two-component Compression System with Zinc Paste Bandages for Leg Ulcers Healing: A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trail Monitoring Sub-bandage Pressures. Wounds. 2011; 23(5): 126-134.
8. Moffatt, C.; Edwards, L.; Collier, M.; Treadwell, T.; Miller, M.; Shafer, L.; Sibbald, R.G.; Brassard, A.; (MC)Intosh, A.; Reyzelman, A.; Price, P.; Krause, S.M.; Walters, S.A.; Harding, K. A randomized controlled 8-week crossover clinical evaluation of the 3M™ Coban™ 2 Layer Compression System versus Profore™ to evaluate product performance in patients with venous leg ulcers. Int. Wound J. 2008; 5(2); 267-279.
9. Collier M, Schuren J. Ease of use and reproducibility of five compression systems. J Wound Care 2007; 3M Supplement: 8-10.

Venous Leg Ulcer (VLU) solutions

The ABC Model for Leg Ulcer Management

Regular Reassessment

Management Best Practices

Management Best Practices

Management Using Compression Therapy

3M solutions for VLU management