Wound Management

Consider professional wound management if you have diabetic ulcers or other slow-healing wounds on your legs, feet, or ankles. At Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP, located in Methuen, Massachusetts, board-certified podiatric surgeons and wound care specialists Nicholas A. Ciotola, DPM, Dennis Ryan, DPM, and the team offer a full suite of wound management services. Depending on your needs, they may recommend debridement, topical ointments, or skin-graft substitutes. Call Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP to see if you can benefit from wound management, or request your appointment online today. 

What is wound management in podiatry?

Wound management is a podiatry subspecialty that diagnoses and treats slow-healing wounds on the legs and feet, like diabetic or venous ulcers. 

If you have diabetes or another medical condition affecting circulation in your feet, you’re also more likely to experience nerve damage and other side effects. 

When the nerves in your feet and toes aren’t healthy, they won’t send out pain signals if you hurt or injure yourself. As a result, bacteria can enter your body and cause an infection.

Podiatric wound care management prevents infection and other issues before they occur. 

Who can benefit from podiatry wound management?

Request wound management at Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Dry skin
• Skin discoloration
• Scaly skin
• Redness
• Rashes
• Hair loss
• Calluses

If you have a visible wound that’s bleeding or oozing pus, seek treatment immediately. Intervention and treatment can reduce your risk of gangrene and amputation.

What happens during a wound management visit?

Your Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP provider reviews your medical records, asks about your symptoms, and examines your wound. Next, they assess the wound’s size, location, and appearance.

If your wound shows signs of an infection, like redness or oozing pus, your podiatrist takes a biopsy sample and sends it to a nearby lab for testing. A biopsy can determine the underlying cause of your ulcer and help guide treatment. 

How does wound management treat foot and ankle wounds?

The Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP team takes a conservative and patient-centered approach to wound management. Whenever possible, they recommend nonsurgical treatments, including:

• Elevating your foot
• Custom orthotics
• Draining the wound
• Antiplatelet or anti-clotting medications
• Oral antibiotics
• Topical wound care
• Compression clothes
• Taking the pressure off the wound with a cast or a splint
• Wound debridement

If your wound is infected or doesn’t respond to conservative treatments, your podiatrist might recommend surgery. The Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP team regularly uses skin grafts and synthetic skin substitutes to encourage the body's natural healing process. 

How long does wound management take?

If you have diabetes or another medical condition that affects your circulation, wound management is a lifelong process. To reduce your risk of an infection, the Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP team recommends inspecting your feet daily, wearing appropriate shoes, and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

Call Methuen Podiatry Associates LLP to see if you can benefit from wound management, or make your appointment online today.