Wound Care

When would I need wound care? 

You need intensive wound care when you have a severe wound, an infected wound, or a wound that doesn't heal. Commonwealth Vein Center offers exceptional care for non-healing wounds caused by the following conditions: 

Venous insufficiency

When valves in your leg veins stop functioning, blood goes back down your leg instead of flowing up toward your heart. That condition, called venous insufficiency, allows blood to accumulate in the vein and increases the pressure in your lower leg veins. 

The high pressure forces fluids out of blood vessels, and the fluids break down your skin, and a non-healing venous stasis ulcer develops. 

Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

PAD develops in your leg arteries when cholesterol plaque builds up in the artery wall. Without treatment, the plaque enlarges and blocks blood flow through the artery. That deprives tissues of oxygen-rich blood, leading to a non-healing arterial leg ulcer.

Diabetes

High blood sugar damages small blood vessels in your feet and lower legs, which restricts the blood supply to your skin. If you develop a tiny cut or scrape, it can quickly turn into a non-healing ulcer due to the lack of blood. 

What symptoms indicate I need wound care?

An ulcer may be the first sign that you need immediate wound care. But you could also have symptoms before the ulcer appears, including:

• Varicose veins
• Leg swelling
• Leg pain
• Foot pain
• Hair loss on your lower leg
• Poor toenail growth
• Skin rash on your lower leg
• Skin that turns reddish-brown and thickens

Venous ulcers appear shallow and may not cause pain until they develop an infection. Arterial ulcers are deeper, painful wounds. Diabetic foot ulcers typically appear on pressure points, like your heel, the ball of your foot, or where shoes rub your skin. 

What wound care services could I receive?

When you have a non-healing wound, the skin keeps breaking down, the ulcer keeps enlarging, and an infection eventually develops. Then the infection can spread to your skin and bones, putting you at risk of needing an amputation. The only way to prevent serious complications is with medical wound care.

The wound care specialists at Commonwealth Vein Center offer customized care using one or more of the following treatments:

• Compression therapy
• Wound debridement
• Advanced dressings
• Antibiotic therapy
• Bio-engineered tissue substitutes
• Negative pressure wound therapy
• Off-loading to eliminate pressure
• Total contact casting
• Nutritional therapy
• Diabetic foot care education

In addition to caring for your wound, your provider also treats the underlying condition. That could mean ablation or sclerotherapy for venous insufficiency, an endovascular treatment to clear a clogged artery, or treatment to stabilize blood sugar.

At the first sign of an ulcer or other concerning leg symptoms, call Commonwealth Vein Center or book an appointment online.