What are diabetic foot wounds?

Diabetic foot wounds are cuts, scrapes, or sores that occur on the feet of people who have diabetes. Although they may seem inconsequential, even small wounds are a cause for concern. This is because people with diabetes are less likely to feel the wound due to nerve damage in the feet, delaying treatment until the wound has progressed. Poor circulation to the feet can also make the wounds heal slowly, increasing the risk of infection. Left untreated, wounds can turn into diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

Why do diabetic wounds heal slowly?

Diabetic wounds tend to heal slowly because many people with diabetes also have poor circulation in their lower limbs. When there is inadequate blood flow to the feet and ankles, the nutrients needed for efficient, effective healing cannot get to the wounds quickly enough. When the wounds heal slowly and poorly, the chances of further damage to the surrounding skin and infection go up.

What should I do if I notice a diabetic foot wound?

If you are diabetic and notice a wound on your foot, you should seek the care of a podiatrist as soon as possible. The earlier treatment begins, the better your chances are of avoiding complications.

How are diabetic foot wounds treated?

Treatments for diabetic foot wounds vary depending on the location and severity of the wound. Generally, your podiatrist will focus on disinfecting the wound, removing any dead tissue, and creating an environment on the foot that is conducive to healing. You will likely need to keep any pressure off of the wound while it heals. This can be achieved through resting the affected foot, padding it, wearing orthotics, or using devices designed to off-load pressure.

How can I prevent diabetic foot wounds?

The best way to prevent diabetic foot wounds is to remain proactive. When walking inside or outside the home, wear shoes to protect your feet from injuries. Maintain proper foot hygiene to reduce the risk of infections. Since loss of sensation through diabetic neuropathy is also common among people with diabetes, daily visual inspection of the feet for any cuts, scrapes, sores, wounds, or discoloration is also suggested. If you notice any changes in your feet, you should schedule an appointment with a podiatrist as soon as possible.

Wound Care Treatment | Podiatrist, Foot Doctor Dallas, TX and North Dallas Neighborhoods

wound care in the Collin County, TX: Plano, McKinney, Allen, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, Wylie, Lucas, Fairview, Princeton, Anna, Melissa, Dallas County, TX: Dallas, Garland, Coppell, Richardson, Addison, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, University Park, Highland Park, Denton County, TX: Little Elm, The Colony, Lewisville, Corinth, Flower Mound, Rockwall County, TX: Rockwall, Heath, Fate areas

Wound Care Expert in Plano, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Garland, Frisco & Coppell, TX

Our wound expert treats wounds and their cause through clinical and surgical training and providing specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing wounds. Our comprehensive approach and individualized treatments for wound healing and limb salvage surpass traditional methods of care.

Interventional vascular care and IV antibiotics promote faster healing for chronic wounds and decreases the risk of complications. Custom shoes and braces are also specifically designed to offload the patients wound area and conform to their foot type. At Graff Foot, Ankle and Wound Care center, we achieve the best results for our patients when we implement close collaboration and combined efforts from our multidisciplinary wound-care team. We bring together our wound care expert and physicians to treat acute and chronic wounds. This allows us to deliver a superior level of support for both wound care and limb salvage patients.

Specialized Foot and Ankle Wound Care

Our wound expert has the clinical and surgical training to treat foot and ankle wounds and their causes, providing specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing wounds. If you have a chronic wound, we’ll do a thorough evaluation to determine why you’re not healing, closely examining your feet, ankles, and legs for any signs of circulation, sensation, or swelling issues. We specifically design custom shoes and braces to protect the patient’s wound area and conform to their foot type.

Maintaining Proper Foot and Ankle Wound Care

Patients with compromised immune systems, uncontrolled diabetes and certain dietary deficiencies often have more difficulty caring for their foot and ankle wounds. Unfortunately, what starts as a minor wound can quickly escalate into a chronic, non-healing wound or infection if not properly cared for by the patient and monitored by their physician. The following are critical for maintaining proper foot and ankle wound care and promoting faster healing:

Thorough wound care with careful cleansing and antimicrobial dressings
Appropriate custom shoes and braces to relieve pressure on the wound
Proper moisture balance around the wound (promotes less scarring and pain)
Adequate infection control techniques (sterilization of the wound site, washing your hands when handling cleansing and dressings to prevent spreading infections, etc.)

A Dedicated Multidisciplinary Wound Care Team

At Graff Foot, Ankle and Wound Care, we obtain the best results for our patients when we collaborate with the combined efforts of our dedicated multidisciplinary team. By bringing together wound experts for the treatment of acute and chronic wounds, we’re able to deliver a superior level of support for both wound care and limb salvage patients. Having a complete understanding of each patient is essential to providing exceptional wound care for our patients.

Treating Wound Biofilm

Through trial and error, laboratory and clinical studies, we’ve developed multiple tools to treat wound biofilm. Biofilm is a major barrier to wound healing. Our treatments suppress biofilm without damaging host defenses and/or host healing mechanisms. Since biofilm is so resilient and robust, it has become apparent that multiple concurrent strategies are most effective.

Wounds and other biofilm based human infections are unique in that the surface of biofilm is accessible, which allows physical management. Tissue surfaces that touch each other can sequester biofilm and give it an advantage.

What is biofilm?

When bacteria attach to the surface of a wound and evade the host’s defenses, they can quickly develop into a film, which covers the wound surface. This film, called biofilm, is truly a multicellular organism with several well recognized defenses and synergies between different types of bacteria. Biofilm has the ability to reconstitute itself very quickly. Biofilm is very difficult, if not impossible to eradicate. Our wound expert makes every effort to suppress biofilm and allow for better host healing.

Are you suffering from a wound that won’t heal? Schedule an appointment with Graff Foot Ankle and Wound Care. Call (972) 403-7733 today or use our convenient Request an Appointment form to schedule your visit.

Wound Care