Wound Care Specialist

What is wound care?

Wound care, a service available at VP Foot & Ankle Specialist, involves non-invasive strategies and therapies to encourage soft tissue healing in the case of a wound or ulcer. Effective wound care can preserve the health and function of your feet or ankles and can even prevent the need for amputation in some cases. 

At VP Foot & Ankle Specialist, Dr. Raestas examines your foot wound and asks about its duration and symptoms. 

To make sure the diagnosis is accurate before starting your treatment, he might order an X-ray or other imaging test to view the extent of tissue damage in and around the wound. This helps him foresee certain complications that could arise during treatment. 

What does podiatric wound care treat?

Podiatric wound care is typically the preferred strategy to treat foot ulcers, which often arise from unmanaged diabetes. Ulcers are open wounds that are slow to heal and can be very shallow or deep enough to affect the underlying bone. 

Diabetic foot ulcers are especially dangerous because the symptoms aren’t always apparent. Diabetic neuropathy, a secondary condition that affects your nerves, can numb the nerves in your feet. Since you have no feeling, you might not realize that you have foot ulcers for a very long time. 

Common symptoms of foot ulcers include:

• Drainage
• Inflammation or swelling of the foot
• A foul smell
• Abscesses (pockets of pus)

The longer you go without wound care for your foot ulcer, the more likely you’ll experience serious complications like gangrene (tissue death) or infections affecting the skin, tissue, and bones in the region. 

You should book an appointment at VP Foot & Ankle Specialist as soon as you notice any symptoms from a foot ulcer. 

What does wound care involve?

During wound care at VP Foot & Ankle Specialist, Dr. Raestas’ main goal is to promote and hasten the healing of the ulcer. Your wound care plan might involve:

Wound debridement

Wound debridement is the process of removing infected and dead tissue and debris from an ulcer. This helps encourage healing and prevent deeper or more severe infections. 

Biologics and medications

Certain medications and biologics are available to promote tissue healing. Many of them work by reducing bleeding and leakage from the ulcer. 

Dressings and bandages

Dr. Raestas applies dressings and bandages after wound debridement. Dressings promote healing while bandages protect the wound from dirt, direct pressure, and other harmful factors. 

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy gives your wound oxygen-rich plasma to facilitate the healing process. It also effectively prevents tissue death, which can occur because of the lack of oxygen-rich blood in the area.

Additionally, Dr. Raestas might give you special footwear to displace pressure from the ulcer when you stand or walk. Foot surgery may be necessary for very severe cases. 

To learn more about foot ulcers and podiatric wound care, call VP Foot & Ankle Specialist, or book an appointment online today.