- Foam Dressings: Highly absorbent and can provide a moist healing environment.
- Hydrocolloids: Gel-forming agents that facilitate wound healing under a protective layer.
- Antimicrobial Dressings: Impregnated with substances like silver to reduce the risk of infection.
- Growth Factors: Topical applications that stimulate cell growth and wound repair.
Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre
Advanced wound care for diabetic and venous leg ulcers
Our primary mission as Circulation Specialists is to help you achieve the healthiest circulation possible for your stage in life.
Whatever your lifestyle, genetic predisposition or individual health aspirations – Your Circulation is your Lifeline.
What Is Advanced Wound Care?
Advanced wound care employs specialised approaches and technologies for treating wounds that are challenging to heal due to conditions like diabetes and venous insufficiency.
It encompasses a comprehensive range of products and therapies designed to promote healing, manage pain, and reduce the risk of infection.
Advanced wound care is particularly important for people with diabetic ulcers and venous leg ulcers. These conditions can result in slow-healing or non-healing wounds, posing considerable health risks.
Understanding Diabetic Ulcers
Diabetic ulcers are a complication of diabetes mellitus, primarily affecting the lower extremities. These ulcers occur due to a combination of factors, including neuropathy (nerve damage), poor circulation, and high blood sugar levels.
Key Characteristics
- Location: Often found on the feet, particularly on the soles, heels, and toes.
- Appearance: They can vary in size and depth, frequently surrounded by a rim of calloused skin.
- Infection Risk: High infection risk, due to impaired immune response and reduced blood flow.
Impact on Health
Diabetic ulcers pose a risk for serious infections and, in severe cases, may lead to the need for limb amputation. Their presence significantly affects a patient’s quality of life, limiting mobility and increasing the risk of hospitalisation.
Understanding Venous Leg Ulcers
Venous leg ulcers result from venous insufficiency—a condition where leg veins cannot adequately return blood to the heart, leading to chronic sores on the legs.
It leads to increased pressure in the veins of the lower legs, causing fluid to leak out and eventually resulting in ulcer formation.
Key Characteristics
- Location: Typically located on the inner part of the leg, just above the ankle.
- Appearance: These ulcers often have irregular borders, and the surrounding skin may appear swollen, discoloured, or hardened.
- Infection Risk: The open nature of the wound and the compromised skin barrier increase the susceptibility to infection.
Impact on Health
Venous leg ulcers can cause pain, mobility issues, and social isolation. The chronic nature of these ulcers, coupled with the tendency for recurrence, requires ongoing management and can cause significant discomfort for the patient.
Venous leg ulcers can cause pain, mobility issues, and social isolation. The chronic nature of these ulcers, coupled with the tendency for recurrence, requires ongoing management and can cause significant discomfort for the patient.
Advanced Wound Care Therapies
These advanced wound care therapies are tailored to meet the specific needs of complex wounds, such as diabetic ulcers and venous leg ulcers.
Dressings and Topical Agents
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)
NPWT involves applying a vacuum through a special dressing to the wound. This therapy helps reduce edema, increase blood flow, and promote granulation tissue formation.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
HBOT exposes patients to pure oxygen under increased pressure conditions. This saturation of oxygen can enhance wound healing.
Bioengineered Tissue and Skin Substitutes
These products, derived from human or synthetic sources, are used to cover wounds and promote the regeneration of skin tissues.
Physical Therapies
- Ultrasound Therapy: Utilises sound waves to stimulate tissue repair and reduce inflammation.
- Electrical Stimulation: Applying electrical currents to the affected area encourages wound healing.
Customising Care For These Conditions
This holistic strategy ensures that care plans are medically effective and tailored to each patient’s lifestyle, capabilities, and goals.
- Diabetic Ulcers
For patients with diabetic ulcers, a patient-centred approach takes into account the patient’s ability to perform self-care, their glycemic control, and the presence of neuropathy or peripheral arterial disease. - Venous Leg Ulcers
Treatment plans for venous leg ulcers are adjusted based on the patient’s mobility, the severity of venous insufficiency, and their ability to adhere to compression therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What distinguishes advanced wound care therapies from traditional wound care?
Advanced wound care therapies involve specialised products and techniques designed to address complex wounds that do not heal well with standard treatments.
How often should a wound dressing be changed?
The frequency of dressing changes depends on the type of dressing and the wound’s condition. It’s essential to follow the guidance of a medical specialist.
Are diabetic ulcers contagious?
No, diabetic ulcers are not contagious. They are complications of diabetes that affect the person’s skin integrity.
Are bioengineered tissues and skin substitutes safe?
Bioengineered tissues and skin substitutes are generally safe and have been approved for treating wounds. They are beneficial in cases where traditional healing methods are ineffective.
you are covered
We are on the panel with most insurers in Singapore and with many international insurers; We also offer convenient options for self-paying patients.
