Wounds Care and Limb Preservation

What You Need To Know

Understanding chronic wounds, ulcers, and how timely care protects your limbs.

Chronic Wound Care and Amputation Prevention

Left untreated, chronic conditions such as diabetes and peripheral arterial disease increase your risk of infection and, ultimately, amputation. Our providers specialize in limb preservation using a multi-disciplinary approach. If you regularly experience ulcers or slow-healing wounds, don’t hesitate to seek professional help for amputation prevention.

Our podiatrists have training in the diagnosis and management of chronic, non-healing wounds, including diabetic ulcerations, which develop when high blood sugar damages the lining of your blood vessels; pressure ulcerations, which develop when pressure is applied to the skin for long periods; venous ulcerations, which develop in varicose veins that cause blood to pool and break through the skin; and arterial or ischemic ulcerations, which develop due to poor blood flow.

Ulcers are openings in the skin that often develop from the outside in and can introduce bacteria and infection. If ulcers get through the skin, they can cause significant problems with infections of muscle, bone, or blood poisoning. Ulcers can also develop from the inside out from metabolic conditions or localized abscess, which causes greater concern.

Our podiatrists will complete a thorough consultation and physical exam to diagnose your wound, review your medical history, and assess for artery and vein involvement. The sooner we know your exact wound, the quicker we can help manage it, so schedule an evaluation as soon as you notice a wound that isn’t healing.

Treatment, Skin Grafts, and Prevention

When treating your ulcer, we first confirm and establish good blood flow, which brings oxygen and healing enzymes to regrow tissue and skin. Our podiatrists will also debride the wound to ensure all damaged tissue is removed so healthy tissue can grow. Topical medications are used to help prevent infection, and depending on severity, we may also talk to you about skin grafting.

A skin graft is a surgical process wherein a piece of living tissue is removed from one part of the body and transferred to another to replace tissue destroyed during an injury. There are two kinds: split-thickness grafts, which remove the epidermis and a portion of the dermis and are used for larger wounds, and full-thickness grafts, which remove the whole epidermis and dermis and are used for smaller wounds. Skin grafts can help restore mobility, promote movement, and save limbs, especially for people with diabetes who are prone to foot sores and ulcers.

Some ways to prevent wounds include checking your feet daily for any injuries, washing and drying your feet daily, wearing proper footwear that is not too tight, and trimming your toenails straight across. Diabetics in particular need to inspect their feet daily, since neuropathy can cause a wound to go unnoticed and quickly become infected.

Your provider works with you to explain the underlying cause of your wound and steps you can take to prevent more wounds from forming. Education is a key part of your care, and we will build a treatment plan that manages your wounds for the long term.