Buyers' Guide for Compression for Healthcare and during Rehabilitation or Injury

VR compression socks with graduated compression (gctech™) offer a well researched and clinically proven method of helping people to promote the health and recovery of their lower limbs. The fatality rate from DVT is estimated to be up to 60,000 per year, 5 times that of road traffic accidents, breast cancer and HIV combined. Again wearing compression socks can help reduce this risk.

Effects of Gravity

The calf muscle acts like our 'second heart'. It supports the movement of blood from the peripheries back to the heart via the venous system. As the lower legs take our entire weight for most of the day they are prone to the effects of gravity. In the short term this can lead to swelling and fatigue in the lower limbs, in the long term this can lead to varicose veins and ulcers which effect 25% of the population .

The 'Anti-Gravity' Sock

Socks made with gctech™ are designed specifically to apply a known level of pressure to different points on the lower limb, tighter at the ankle and less tight at the calf. This supports the lower leg, helps blood move out of the leg faster and effectively counteracts the negative effects of gravity on the lower leg. Thus wearing socks with gctech™ as a replacement to your normal socks will reduce standing fatigue in the lower limb, reduce swelling and counter-act any symptoms of varicose veins. Thus making it an ideal 'daywear/occupational' sock.

Advantages of wearing socks containing gctech™

• Less tiredness in the calf
• Reduced swelling at the end of the day
• Additional protection from DVT when traveling

What is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?

During or after surgery a blood clot (or thrombus) can form for the following reasons:

• Surgery will cause trauma to the endothelium (inner surface of blood vessels)
• Your body will be prone to over-clotting, or hyper-coagulation
• The blood in the veins of your leg will slow down due to your incapacity after surgery. This can cause the blood to "pool" in the deep veins.

This trio of activity is well-known in the medical profession to be the main factors that predispose patients to clotting. In particular these clots often form in the deep veins of the lower limb, know as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A smaller clot can consequently break off from this bigger clot and travel up the blood system into the lungs causing major and sometimes fatal consequences.

Unfortunately the risk of developing a DVT is increased in the weeks after major surgery and your surgeon will explain ways in which to reduce this risk . One method to reduce the risk is to wear well-fitted, medical grade Class 1 graduated compression socks, such as those recommended by Compression Advisory.

Why VR+ socks on leaving hospital?

One of the problems with hospital compression socks is that while they are effective, they are often uncomfortable to wear. Socks with gctech™ have been designed specifically to eliminate this problem by textile engineers and surgeons, yet importantly conform to European standard of Class 1 compression.

They have been designed with high quality materials and special agents that aid compliance.

These factors make socks with gctech™ far more comfortable than usual hospital stockings. Thus they can be worn for extended periods post operatively reducing the risk of DVT and helping with lower limb swelling.

(Additionally they are the compression sock used by the vast majority of professional sports teams for travel, recovery and performance)

When to wear socks with gctech™?

Your surgeon or nurse should advise you on how to wear this product. It is usually necessary to wear socks with gctech™ directly after your surgery and for 6 weeks after your discharge. They can be worn for 24 hours a day as a replacement for normal socks, ideally socks should be used in rotation to allow regular washing of the product.