Centers of Excellence > Wound Care
Wounds Treated by our Team
Our Wound Care Centers of Excellence are equipped with the expertise and cutting-edge technology to treat a wide range of wounds. We also treat internal conditions that show up on your skin and other organs or affect your feet. Our treatment methods focus on both healing and prevention.
Acute & Chronic Wounds
We specialize in treating a wide range of complex, acute, and chronic wounds. Our therapies are meant help to change the state of chronic wounds, ones that are “stuck” at one stage of healing, to actively healing wounds. Some of the wounds we treat are:
Gangrenous wounds
Traumatic wounds
Post-surgical wounds
Pressure ulcers
Diabetic ulcers
Venous leg ulcers
Neuropathic ulcers
Burns
Other Conditions Treated
Vascular (blood flow) and neurological problems (with the nerves) impact all parts of our bodies. Because our skin is the largest organ of the body, it is affected when blood supply is restricted to it. Our skin and extremities are also affected when the nerves connecting the skin to other parts of the body are damaged. A lot of internal body issues show through on our skin, legs and feet, and arms and hands. The symptoms and treatments for these such vary greatly. Below are some of these conditions.
Acrocyanosis
Acrocyanosis is a disorder that affects the arteries that supply blood full of oxygen and nutrients to the skin covering your hands and feet. People who have this condition don’t feel anything on the outside, but inside there are spasms occurring that block the blood flow. When this happens, the skin loses oxygen and changes to a dark blue to purple color, which is called cyanosis. Acrocyanosis can indicate a serious medical illness, such as cardiovascular or connective tissue disease.
Symptoms
Blue or purple skin discoloration
Feet that are persistently cold
Sweaty or moist skin
Swelling
Treatment
Keeping the foot warm and circulating with blood normally
Wearing insulated boots or socks to maintain normal skin temperature
Thin polypropylene liner socks to get excess moisture away from the skin
Chilblains
Chilblains occurs when the skin has an abnormal reaction to cold temperature. People with poor circulation in the feet are more likely to have this condition. Itchy and red swelling tends to happen on the skin, which can increasingly become painful and leaving cracks in the skin that can open a risk of infection. This typically happens on the toes, fingers, face, ear lobes, and areas of the feet that are exposed to pressure.
Symptoms
Burning & Itching
Swelling or Redness
Breaks in Skin
Ulcers
Treatment
Keeping the body, especially hands and feet, dry
Warming the body and applying heat
Applying lotion to alleviate itching
Antiseptic dressing if it becomes ulcerated
Ischemic Foot
Ischemic foot has a wide variety of possible causes, but it forms a lack of adequate blood flow from the heart to the foot. Blockage, blood clots, spasms, or injury of the arteries can lead to this condition. When this happens, a person cannot get bloody supply reaching the foot to give them the oxygen and nutrients they need for cells to function properly.
Symptoms
Cold feet
Discoloration in the toes
Muscle cramping
Ulcers and pain
Treatment
Walking exercises to increase blood flow
Wearing protective shoes and socks
Medications to treat arteries
Venous Stasis
Venous stasis is a condition that results in losing proper function in the leg veins that usually bring blood back toward the heat. Injury to the veins can occur, which then forms blood clots in the superficial veins or deep veins. As more fluid and pressure builds up, some of this blood can leak out of the veins and into your skin.
Symptoms
Swelling of the legs and ankles
Enlarged veins
Fullness, aching, or tiredness in the legs
Worsened symptoms when standing
Treatment
Rest
Elevation
Compression stockings
Ointment to relieve itchiness
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition caused by damage to the nerves, especially in the foot. The nerves can be damaged by prolonged consumption of alcohol; the main component of alcoholic beverages, ethanol, is toxic to nerve tissue, and can lead to permanent loss of sensation in the feet and hands. This condition is similar to those caused by nerve damage due to diabetes. Damage to the nerves can also result from being exposed to toxins like pesticides or heavy metals, which are just as harmful as alcohol is to our bodies.
Symptoms
Numbness, tingling, or burning in the arms and legs
Prickly sensations
Muscle spasms or weakness
Loss of muscle functioning
Treatment
Vitamin B-12 injections
Oral medications to ease burning pain
Topical ointments
Magnetic therapy
Galvanic stimulation
Diabetic Foot
Diabetes is a lifelong chronic disease that is usually caused by high levels of sugar in the blood, which has lasting effects on your body’s ability to fight off infections. This also harms your organs and stopping them from functioning properly. The feet also become at risk of damage; your nervous system can be compromised and take away all sense of feeling. Your feet can become impaired, unable to perform regular activities as abnormal pressure is put on the skin, bones, and joints.
Take precautions as soon as possible to protect your feet and avoid serious problems that can occur. The sooner that the early signs are recognized, the quicker the ideal treatment can be given to your body and feet. Prevention is key.
Risk Factors
Poorly fitting shoes
Common foot abnormalities
Long-standing or poorly controlled diabetes
Poor circulation
Trauma to the foot
Infections
Smoking
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