Diabetic Wound Care
Diabetic wounds are, by far, the leading cause of lower limb amputations for reasons other than trauma. Every year, as many as 100,000 Americans will lose a toe, foot, or more as a result of infected wounds that got out-of-control and may have only started with a simple cut, scrape, or blister.
The saddest thing about these amputations is that, for the most part, they are almost always completely preventable. While you can’t guarantee that you’ll never hurt your foot—life happens—if you take a few minutes every day to check your feet for injuries and seek immediate medical attention for any open sores you notice, you can almost always stop the problem before it has a chance to do serious damage.
The main reason diabetic foot wounds are so dangerous is circulation: specifically, not enough of it. Even in healthy people, feet and toes tend to get less circulation than most other areas of the body. In diabetic Patients, the blood flow decreases even further.
Since a steady supply of oxygen, nutrients, and white blood cells are essential components of the healing process in both injuries and fighting infection, cuts and scrapes that might be “no big deal” for some people could be incredibly serious problems for people with diabetes. If your body can’t get what it needs to close the wound, repair the tissue, and fight off germs, those sores will only fester and grow. Infections enter the skin and can spread deep into neighboring tissues and even bone, killing your cells.
When infections spread to this stage, your only options may be a complicated (and potentially risky) limb salvage procedure, or fully amputating a section of your foot or leg to halt the progression of damage.
At Omega Medical Group (OMG), we take a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to wound care. Our foot specialist Dr. Marzeli Olacio, vascular surgeon Dr. Manuel Gonzalez, and endocrinologist Dr. Anthony Domingo work together closely in order to provide you with the best possible treatment. We do everything in our power to heal wounds, prevent, halt, or reverse infections, and restore as much of your lower limb function as possible so that you can avoid amputations and continue to live a full, active life. That includes everything from your initial treatment, to follow up appointments, to providing you with the information you need to continue your care at home.
If you feel or observe a foot wound on yourself or someone you love, don’t take any unnecessary risks—the consequences can be lifelong and permanent. Call OMG right away for the treatment you need. You can schedule at either of our Miami-area offices by calling (305) 514-0404.