Today, wound care goes way beyond bandages: The Family Foot & Ankle Center team uses leading-edge healing techniques like amniotic skin grafts to stimulate your body to grow new skin and heal the wound. To learn more about the innovative wound care available at Family Foot & Ankle Care, call the Upland, California, office or click the online appointment feature now.

request an appointment

What is wound care?

Wound care is medical care for severe wounds that don’t heal on their own. It involves treating and preventing infection, promoting your body’s natural healing abilities, and helping you avoid tissue death (gangrene) or amputation.

What kinds of wounds need wound care?

The most common wounds that need wound care are diabetic foot wounds. Many people with diabetes suffer from poor blood flow to their feet, which slows healing. Diabetic foot wounds can lead to infection, tissue death (gangrene), and amputation — but about 85% of those amputations are avoidable with wound care.

Some other wounds that could need wound care include:

  • Vascular wounds
  • Deep puncture wounds
  • Surgical wounds
  • Wounds containing gravel, dirt, or any other foreign materials

If you have a wound that is getting bigger or more painful, call the Family Foot & Ankle Center office to talk about whether you need wound care in the office.

What is wound care like?

The wound care depends on what kind of wound you have and how serious it is. At Family Foot & Ankle Center, the team offers:

  • Wound cleaning
  • Removal of infected and dead tissue (debridement)
  • Topical (applied to the wound) ointments
  • Oral medication
  • Wound dressings, such as gauze
  • Custom-fitted orthotics (shoe inserts) that ease pressure on the wound
  • Negative pressure wound therapy, which uses suction to close the wound

Whenever possible, the team uses nonsurgical wound healing. But if you have a severe wound, you might need skin grafting in which a skin substitute is placed over your wound.

The skin substitute comes from the amniotic membrane of a donated placenta. The membrane contains an ample supply of the human body’s most powerful healing cells, so it’s an effective way to jump-start healing. Your body works with the membrane to help your skin knit back together.

After your wound is better, the team helps you take steps to prevent new wounds. Sometimes, simple things have a significant effect. For example, wearing compression stockings or socks after wound healing is shown to cut the risk of venous leg ulcers in half.

If you have a wound that isn’t healing, Family Foot & Ankle Center can help you get better and return to your favorite activities. Schedule your wound care appointment now by calling the office or clicking the online appointment feature.