Summary

Dr. Oliver Schlager from the Department of Vascular Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna presented an in-depth analysis at LINC 2024 on assessing quality of life (QoL) in patients following venous interventions. By using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), the study evaluates the severity of chronic venous insufficiency and suggests standard QoL assessment guidelines for clinical practice. Dr. Schlager emphasized that PROMs, such as the Villalta score and Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), should be integral to post-intervention evaluations.

Key Points

1.Villalta and VCSS Scores:

•The Villalta and VCSS scoring systems are effective tools for measuring the severity of chronic venous disease, particularly in QoL assessments post-treatment. The study indicated a strong negative correlation between higher scores and lower QoL, meaning the higher the scores, the lower the patient’s quality of life.

2.QoL Improvements Post-DVT Interventions:

•Studies such as ATTRACT and CAVA highlighted significant improvements in QoL after acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) interventions. Villalta scores demonstrated stronger correlations with disease-specific QoL measures, such as the VEINES-QoL/Sym scores, compared to VCSS.

3.Impact of Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS) on QoL:

•Research by Silva et al. revealed that PTS has a profound negative effect on patients’ QoL, with increased Villalta scores directly linked to declining QoL over time. The study emphasized the need for long-term follow-up to monitor QoL in PTS patients.

4.Post-DVT QoL Enhancement:

•The VIRTUS and Abre studies demonstrated notable improvements in QoL following venous interventions for acute DVT, with significant gains in patients’ walking abilities and daily activity performance.

Conclusion

1. QoL assessments should become standardized following venous interventions, particularly for chronic venous insufficiency and PTS patients, as PROMs better reflect real patient symptoms and improvements.

2. The Villalta and VCSS scores should serve as core evaluation tools, adapted to the specific characteristics of the venous condition.

3. Venous disease may worsen over time, affecting QoL, necessitating continuous follow-up and evaluation for optimal long-term patient outcomes.

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