Understanding wound care from a venous & lymphatic perspective

The 2020 American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS) Annual Congress* will include a live-streamed wound care session on Thursday, 15 October 2020. This session will complement the fundamental knowledge of providing wound care for patients. Topics covered will include views of the micro to macro circulation, both venous and arterial, with a highlight of the endothelial glycocalyx.

The recognition of the functional aspects of the endothelial glycocalyx in 2010 by Michel and Levick resulted in the modification of the dogmatic Starling curve and the paradigm shift recognising the critical importance of lymphangion engagement for interstitial oedema management and overall lymphatic transport capacity. Ninety percent of interstitial fluid is returned via the lymphatics, not the venous system as is still taught in medical schools today. The critical nature of lymphatic health and therapies has resulted in a renaissance of lymphatic research and lymphoedema treatment data published in peer-reviewed journals and directly contributed to putting the ‘L’ in the rebranding and realignment of AVLS at the 33rd meeting in 2019.