The clinical and economic impact of chronic venous insufficiency-associated lymphedema and the prevalence of persistent edema after venous intervention

Abstract

Objectives To determine the demographics, outcomes, and healthcare utilization of patients with chronic venous insufficiency-associated lymphedema (CVI-LED) and the prevalence of lymphedema-specific therapy use after venous intervention. Methods The IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Claims Databases were examined for patients with CVI-LED. Patient demographics and the use of lymphedema-specific therapy before and after venous intervention were collected. Results Of 85,601 LED patients identified, 8,406 also had a diagnosis of CVI. In the CVI-LED group, 1051 underwent endovenous ablation or venous stent placement. The use of lymphedema-specific therapy before and after venous intervention was 52% and 39%, respectively ( p < .05). The mean time of initiation of LED-specific therapy following venous intervention was 265 days after ablation and 347 days after stent placement. Conclusion Treating venous hypertension improves certain venous-related signs and symptoms of CVI. However, a significant proportion of patients have persistent edema which may reflect underlying, sub-optimally treated LED.