In my practice, I treat a lot of diabetic patients, and I see a lot of diabetic wounds. In this case, the wounds are called diabetic foot ulcers.
When evaluating diabetic foot ulcers, some of the things we look for as foot specialists are signs of infection, size of the wound, lab tests, blood sugar levels, shoes, and circulation of the feet and legs. All of these are important. Also, getting a good history from the patient is very important. We need to know how long the wound has been present, what medications have been given, and if any other treatments have been rendered yet.
As a podiatist, my main goal is to save my patients' feet. So this is a very important topic for me. We need the patient to help us do our job to heal the diabetic foot ulcer. Whether that means staying off of the foot or wearing a special boot, the doctor knows best when it comes to healing the foot ulcer. The longer the ulcer remains open, the higher incidence of infection (whether it be in the soft tissues or in the bone). And once it goes into the bone, that is when amputation occurs.
Dr. Michele Summers Colon, DPM, MS
3503 Lexington Ave.
El Monte, CA 91731
626-442-1223
www.elmontefootdoctor.com
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Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule an appointment, or you can visit our website or call our office.
dr.michele.colon@gmail.com
Friday, September 28, 2012
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