Introduction: Venous ulcers are wounds that are thought to occur due to improper functioning of venous valves, usually of the lower limbs. Considering that PRP is a source of growth factors, and consequently has mitogenic, angiogenic, and chemotactic properties, it represents an adjunctive treatment for recalcitrant wounds. Moreover, PRP provides the wound with adhesive proteins, such as fibrinogen, which are important in wound healing. PRP contain more amount of platelets, cytokines and growth factors which are dispersed in a very small amount of plasma which can be prepared from a sample of centrifuged autologous blood. Application of PRP has been reported to be effective in both acute as well as chronic non healing venous ulcers.
Aim and Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of autologous platelet rich plasma in the management of chronic venous ulcer. Material and Method: A Prospective study conducted on 100 patients of chronic venous ulcers admitted in Sir T. Hospital Bhavnagar from June 2018 to June 2019 after fulfilled our inclusion and exclusion criteria. PRP then injected intalesionally inside and around the periphery of the wound/ulcer. This process was done once/week for 12 weeks. At every week, the area and volume of ulcer was calculated and photographs were taken.
Result: All the patients showed healing of the ulcer with reduction in size of ulcer more than 90% was observed in 72 patients, followed by 80–90% reduction in wound size in 18 patients after the 12 weeks follow-up. Overall, significant reduction in size of ulcer was observed in all the treated patients.
Conclusion: Autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) as an autologous method, it is biocompatible, simple, safe, affordable and less expensive procedure in the treatment of chronic venous ulcers. PRP is found to be useful in improving and enhancing the healing process in chronic venous leg ulcers without any side effect.
Keywords: Venous ulcer, Platelet rich plasma