This article explores the impact of combining tissue viability and lymphoedema techniques on optimising time to healing.
Aim: To investigate the healing rates observed in patients who presented to wound and lymphoedema specialist clinics, located in the south eastern region of England, with venous/lymphovenous ulceration of the lower limb during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2022 (30 months in all).
Methodology: A retrospective analysis of patient outcomes.
Results: 1041 patients were referred to the service, with a healing rate of 88.5% over 78 days.
Discussion: When comparing 2013-2019 healing rates/time to healing vs 2020-2022 there was a decrease of 1.5% in the rate of healing and a mean reduction in time to healing of 40 days.
Conclusion: Despite the pandemic the service was able to maintain previous levels of outcomes and observed a decrease in the mean time to healing.
Keywords: Debridement; Healing outcomes; Healing rates; Lymphoedema; Specialist clinics; Venous leg ulcers.