Indications for use:
1. Varicose veins (all types)
2. Chronic Venous Insufficiency ("CVI")
3. Venous Stasis Disease
4. Venous Valvular Insufficiency ("VVI")
5. Venous Insufficiency
6. Post Thrombotic Syndrome
7. Venous Ulcer (Stasis Ulcer)
8. Edema: Venous, Lymph, Post Traumatic, Post Surgical, "Lipedema"
9. Angio Dysplasia
10. Post Sclerotherapy
11. Thrombosis Prevention
12. Venous Eczema
13. Lipidodermatosclerosis
Contraindications:
Absolute Contraindications (should virtually never use compression):
1. Severe Peripheral Arterial Disease
2. Decompensated Congestive Heart Failure
3. Septic Phlebitis
4. Phlegmasia Cerula Dolens - (almost total venous thrombosis of a leg)
Relative Contraindications (used compression only with caution):
1. Decreased or absent sensation in the leg
2. Allergy to compression material
3. Moderate peripheral arterial disease
4. Infection in the leg
How Compression Therapy Works:
Relieves stress on vein walls.
Restores venous hemodynamics by improving muscle pump function and decreasing reflux.
Increases tissue pressures (leading to decreased edema).
Non-Elastic vs. Elastic Compression:
The two classes of compression each have their advantages. Elastic compression can to a certain extent accommodate changes in leg volume. This means that as limb volume goes down or increases, the device will continue to provide a fairly constant level of compression. While this is good in that it means the device will continue to function as swelling goes down, it is disadvantageous because patients do not always need the same amount of compression - as patient position changes, venous pressure changes, and hence the required level of external pressure changes. For example, when a patient is lying down, the pressure in the veins goes down, and hence less compression is desired. Too much compression can restrict circulation.
With non-elastic compression, the device does not adjust to changes in limb volume. This means that when a patient lies down, the compression goes down - matching the body's needs. The disadvantage is that if the patient's leg volume goes down over the course of treatment, traditional non-elastic devices are not able to accommodate the change, and the compression level goes down.
CircAid Products
This is what makes CircAid products unique. Because of its system of interlocking bands, the compression level can be easily adjusted to accommodate changes in limb volume. At the same time, because it is primarily non-elastic, patients receive compression levels that adjust with need: when the patient is standing, the compression increases; when the patient is lying down, the compression decreases.