Summary Wund‐D.A.CH. is the umbrella organization of the various wound care societies in German‐speaking countries. The present consensus paper on practical aspects pertinent to compression therapy in patients with venous leg ulcers was developed by experts from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In Europe, venous leg ulcers rank among the most common causes of chronic wounds. Apart from conservative and interventional wound and vein treatment, compression therapy represents the basis of all other therapeutic strategies. To that end, there are currently a wide variety of materials and systems available. While especially short‐stretch bandages or multicomponent systems should be used in the initial decongestion phase, ulcer stocking systems are recommended for the subsequent maintenance phase. Another – to date, far less common – alternative are adaptive Velcro bandage systems. Medical compression stockings have proven particularly beneficial in the prevention of ulcer recurrence. The large number of treatment options currently available enables therapists to develop therapeutic concepts geared towards their patients’ individual needs and abilities, thus resulting in good acceptance and adherence. Compression therapy plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients with venous leg ulcers. In recent years, a number of different treatment options have become available, their use and application differing among German‐speaking countries. The present expert consensus is therefore meant to outline concrete recommendations for routine implementation of compression therapy in patients with venous leg ulcers.

The first findings support that it might be helpful to identify patients with self-care deficits and therefore to improve patients daily foot self-care.

Zusammenfassung Wund‐D.A.CH. ist der Dachverband deutschsprachiger Fachgesellschaften, die sich mit den Thematiken der Wundbehandlung beschäftigen. Experten verschiedener Fachgesellschaften aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz haben nun einen aktuellen Konsens der Kompressionstherapie für Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum erstellt. In Europa ist das Ulcus cruris venosum eine der häufigsten Ursachen für chronische Wunden. Neben der konservativen und interventionellen Wund‐ und Venentherapie, ist die Kompressionstherapie die Basis der Behandlungsstrategien. Die Kompressionstherapie kann heute mit sehr unterschiedlichen Materialien und Systemen durchgeführt werden. Während in der Entstauungsphase insbesondere Verbände mit Kurzzugbinden oder Mehrkomponentensysteme zur Anwendung kommen, sind es anschließend überwiegend Ulkus‐Strumpfsysteme. Eine weitere, bislang wenig verbreitete Alternative sind adaptive Kompressionsbandagen. Insbesondere für die Rezidivprophylaxe werden medizinische Kompressionsstrümpfe empfohlen. Durch die Vielzahl der heute zur Verfügung stehenden Behandlungsoptionen, kann für nahezu alle Patienten ein Konzept entwickelt werden, dass sich an den individuellen Bedürfnissen und Fähigkeiten orientiert und daher auch akzeptiert und durchgeführt wird. Die Kompressionstherapie ist für die Behandlung von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum essentiell. In den letzten Jahren sind viele verschiedene Therapieoptionen verfügbar, die in den deutschsprachigen Ländern unterschiedlich angewendet oder durchgeführt werden. Daher soll dieser Expertenkonsens dazu beitragen, konkrete Empfehlungen für die praktische Durchführung der Kompressionstherapie von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum darzustellen.

A medial incision is a common surgical technique to obtain access to the abdomen. Thereby, the muscles involved in movement are manipulated, leading to post-operative restrictions in mobility and pain determined by movement. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the impact of a pre-operative training session using the Viv-Arte model, which is based on kinesthetic mobilisation principles. The parameters to be measured were mobility, pain, and length of hospital stay for patients, who were undergoing elective medial laparotomy. In addition, the study tested the research design and to identify possible effect sizes. The method chosen was a prospective, randomised, controlled, and unblinded design. Twenty-seven patients were involved (median=63 years, 19 of the patients were male) who were to have a medial incision for cystectomy. The intervention involved pre-operative training of post-operative mobility techniques. Mobility was tested using the "Mobilitätstest für Patienten im Akutkrankenhaus (MOTPA) (Mobility test for patients in hospital)"; pain intensity was assessed using the visual analogue scale. The intervention and control groups were comparable for all variables. There were no significant differences in the two groups related to the objectives. It is possible that the study groups or the operationalisation were not appropriate for testing the effects of the intervention. It seems important to continue to develop instruments that are appropriate for measuring the effect of mobility-related interventions.