Wound Care

Wounds develop when poor circulation leads to tissue breakdown and infection. Stephanie Parks, DPM, and Justin Ward, DPM, at Bosque Foot and Ankle in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have the wound care skills and experience to prevent infection and encourage healing in lower limb wounds. Call Bosque Foot and Ankle to benefit from expert wound care, or schedule a consultation by completing the online booking form today.

What is wound care?

Specialized wound care is vital for patients with foot and leg ulcers. These raw patches appear on the lower limbs in people with poor blood circulation.

They’re challenging to treat because they resist healing and can easily become infected.

Why would I need wound care?

You might benefit from wound care if you have ulcers caused by the following conditions.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)

CVI affects the leg’s ability to pump blood back to your heart from your feet. Blood pools in the veins, reducing blood flow and encouraging fluid retention (edema) in your legs and feet. The tissues eventually break down, forming venous ulcers.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

PAD develops when cholesterol forms plaque that builds up in the arteries (atherosclerosis). This plaque narrows your arteries, restricting blood flow in your lower limbs. Your tissues don’t get enough oxygen and healing cells, so wounds are more likely to develop and less likely to heal.

Diabetes

Diabetes develops if your body has insufficient insulin or can’t use the insulin it produces, leading to high blood sugar levels. Diabetes affects your blood vessels and nerves, reducing circulation and causing numbness (diabetic peripheral neuropathy).

Numbness prevents you from feeling cuts and other foot injuries, while poor circulation limits healing. Diabetic ulcers are one of the leading reasons for needing wound care.

What does wound care involve?

The first part of the wound care process is cleaning the ulcer. This involves debridement — thoroughly removing any dead or infected tissue. Depending on your ulcer’s severity, debridement might require surgery.

Once your wound is clean and infection-free, your podiatrist covers it with specialized dressings that encourage healing. These might contain substances like hydrogel to keep nondraining wounds moist and alginate for bleeding or oozing wounds. Collagen products contain animal-derived or human tissues that help the skin to regrow.

You need to undergo cleaning and fresh dressing applications regularly. You might also require antibiotic treatment for infection. Untreated infections can lead to gangrene (tissue death) that could ultimately result in amputation. Bosque Foot and Ankle specializes in limb salvage, helping patients avoid foot loss.

Advanced wound care procedures include:

• Split-thickness skin grafting
• Wound vac application
• Skin substitute grafting
• Rotational and muscle flaps

Addressing the underlying blood flow problem is also essential. This might require a minimally invasive procedure like balloon angioplasty.

Call Bosque Foot and Ankle or book an appointment online today for expert wound care.