Anti-embolic stockings are an essential component of the treatment for patients after injuries and major surgeries. They are especially necessary when a person is required to stay in a lying or immobile position for an extended period. It’s easy to distinguish anti-embolic stockings from other compression garments – they are usually white, and they have a hole at the toes. So, what are they needed for?
What Are Anti-Embolic Stockings?
The second name for anti-embolic stockings is hospital anti-embolic knitwear. They are called “hospital” because they are usually used in a hospital (inpatient) during the rehabilitation period.
Such stockings exert graduated pressure on the legs – 18-21 mm Hg, which corresponds to medical garments of the first compression class. They compress the tissues of the legs and the walls of the veins, facilitating blood movement towards the heart. This reduces swelling in the legs and, most importantly, decreases the risk of thrombosis. As is known, the primary condition for venous thrombosis formation is blood stagnation.
In everyday life, a person moves actively, and the contractions of the calf muscles help “push” the blood upwards. But in a lying position, the “muscle pump” is turned off, and anti-embolic compression stockings take over this role. Without hospital knitwear, the risk of not only deep vein thrombosis but also pulmonary artery embolism increases significantly. This complication can lead to death within minutes.
Unlike regular stockings, tights, and leggings, anti-embolic stockings have a control hole at the toes. This allows the doctor to assess blood flow, leg swelling, and notice vascular issues in time.
What Else Are Anti-Embolic Stockings Useful For?
Thanks to the control hole at the toes, a person can independently check the condition of their toes and feet – and it’s not necessary to remove the stockings for this. This “design” of hospital knitwear helps to:
- Provide a sense of control – the ability to monitor the state of the legs is crucial for people with high anxiety, which often occurs after serious surgeries or severe injuries;
- Reduce stress – anxious patients tend to perceive any changes (e.g., skin redness, swelling) as dangerous complications, and the control hole allows them to ease their concerns with minimal effort;
- Improve treatment effectiveness – anti-embolic stockings are designed so that the state of the legs can be checked without interrupting the therapeutic effect of the compression knitwear.
Hospital anti-embolic knitwear is also widely used during the pre- and postnatal periods for women with an increased risk of thrombus formation.
Benefits of Lauma Medical Anti-Embolic Stockings
Lauma Medical manufactures hospital anti-embolic stockings for men and women. They are made from nylon (70%) and lycra (30%) and are available in 5 sizes – S, M, L, XL, XXL.
The main therapeutic effects of Lauma Medical anti-embolic stockings include:
- Narrowing the lumen of veins due to graduated pressure on the feet, ankles, and calves;
- Restoring the normal function of the venous valve apparatus;
- Enhancing venous blood flow.
These effects define the primary action of anti-embolic knitwear – preventing thrombosis in the deep veins of the legs and their spread throughout the body (e.g., to the pulmonary artery, causing its branches to become blocked).
Lauma Medical anti-embolic stockings are a reliable and comfortable way to prevent dangerous complications after surgeries and injuries, as well as during the pre- and postnatal periods.
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