ANALYZING PHLEBECTOMY ZONES

It has been suggested that treatment efforts and re-imbursement for phlebectomy procedures would be better based on pathophysiology and anatomic location rather than simply on the number of phlebectomies performed, as is presently the case. Optimal classification and zone location, however, has not yet been defined. Proposed anatomic zones on the leg varies from 3 to 32. Although more zones would provide greater specificity, fewer zones would be easier to define and more likely to be utilized by physicians.

To help answer this question, a smart phone app has been developed to collect needed clinical data. In this app, clinicians have entered in which of 14 anatomic zone locations phlebectomies have been performed:

1 - UPPER THIGH - MEDIAL

2 - UPPER THIGH - ANTERIOR - LATERAL

3 - UPPER THIGH - POSTERIOR

4 - LOWER THIGH - MEDIAL

5 - LOWER THIGH - ANTERIOR- LATERAL

6 - LOWER THIGH – POSTERIOR

7 – KNEE

8 - UPPER CALF - MEDIAL

9 - UPPER CALF - ANTERIOR - LATERAL

10 - UPPER CALF - POSTERIOR

11 - LOWER CALF - MEDIAL

12 - LOWER CALF - ANTERIOR – LATERAL

13 - LOWER CALF - POSTERIOR

14 - FOOT

AVLS Research Committee members John Blebea MD and Ken Harper MD have spearheaded this effort and are now analyzing the data from the more than 1,000 clinical cases that have already been entered in the app.