When caring for people with venous leg ulceration, exudate management is commonly seen as one of the main challenges for clinicians. However, unfortunately, the reason for this wound-related symptom is often not identified or fully understood and therefore the clinical interventions necessary to address the problem are not implemented (Tickle, 2016). This results in people living with wounds that are failing to heal and producing a volume of exudate that has a significant impact on their quality of life (Cunha et al, 2017). Commonly, the words ‘leaky legs’ or ‘wet legs’ are documented in patient notes as the presenting problem — this is not a clinical diagnosis; it is a symptom of an underlying condition which more than likely is venous disease. Unless this is recognised and treated correctly, those ‘leaky legs’ will continue to be a problem and potentially could have a devastating impact on the patient. It is therefore important to have a good understanding of venous disease as well as the role that exudate plays in wound healing, from initial wounding, through the stages of healing, and when (and why) it becomes a problem.