Treatment of DVT: Compression Stockings

The role of compression hosiery, i.e. stockings after a deep vein thrombosis in the leg has been diagnosed and for the management is controversial. Previous practice used to be that patients would be recommended to wear a compression stocking on the affected leg to reduce the risk of something called the post-thrombotic syndrome. syndrome is a collection of symptoms that occur in a leg after somebody has had a deep vein thrombosis. This may be pain, pain on walking, swelling, redness, ache, or even skin changes with leg ulceration. However, a study that was conducted in Canada has shown that there is actually no benefit with the use of compression stockings to reduce the risk of the post-thrombotic syndrome. This led NICE and the American College of Chest Physicians to come out with a recommendation of not wearing compression hosiery after you've been diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in your leg. However, this has been challenged by many clinicians as the evidence from other studies have shown that there is a benefit. However at the moment there is a difference of view between many as to whether we should or should not use compression. To this end in the United Kingdom there is something called the CHAPS trial that has just been commenced where patients are being enrolled into a study with half the patients receiving compression, stockings the other half not and looking to see if there is actually any benefit in terms of the development the post-robotic syndrome or patient symptomatology.