Being diabetic doesn’t just mean one has to cut down on sweets, it could also bring in a host of other ailments with it as a ripple effect. One such disadvantage of having diabetes is the fact that wounds in diabetic patients not only heal slowly but also worsen quickly. So, doctors always advice them to take good care of their feet since feet are less sensitive and hence, a wound in feet may go unnoticed. But yet, sadly, foot ulcers are a common thing that doctors have to tend to very frequently.
An ulcer is an open sore that develops on the skin of a person. It develops from inside the body due to internal factors like impurities of blood. It can also be caused due to outside pressure.
Foot ulcers are generally pressure ulcers. This means that these ulcers are usually caused by pressure or friction on the surface of the skin.Not only are these ulcers very painful and irritable on the surface, but they also pose more serious health threats like immobility, cancer etc.
One case of foot ulcer was presented at Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals.
Mr Ranjan Maddegalla (name changed), aged 50 years came with ulcer on his ankle. He was diabetic and hence, his ulcer was getting worse rather than healing. It was infectious and very painful. In fact, the condition had worsened to the extent that even his tendons were showing.
Dr Anjaiah (MS, orthopedics) examined him and suggested a bacterial culture and some routine blood tests. After he was properly diagnosed, his ulcer was first cleared off damaged or dead tissues, pus and other foreign objects. This cleansing process is called debridement. He was then treated using Vacuum Assisted Closure (V.A.C.), also known as Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). In this procedure, transparent and adhesive membranes are used to cover the wound. Then the fluid inside the wound is drawn out using vacuum over the membrane. This destroys the area where harmful micro-organisms may grow. It assists in a faster healing.
For the next few days, the wound needed to re-debrided as and when required. Once the infection was completely removed and red granulation tissue comes up, split-skin grafting (skin implantation) was done.
Mr Maddegalla was given some oral antibiotics and some other topical medicines as a part of his post-operative care.
It took him just two weeks to heal entirely.
NPWT and split-skin grafting is a much faster and efficient way to heal a chronic ulcer. Yet we should be careful not to let an ulcer grow as much. Medical help should be sought as soon as an ulcer shows up, especially if it is in a diabetic patient.
ABOUT THE HOSPITAL
Sai Sanjeevini Multi Speciality Hospitals A Unit Of Singapanga Healthcare Pvt. Ltd Has Been Providing Health Services To The People In Need For The Last 14 Years. This Health Care Organisation Combines Practical, Proven Research, Cutting Edge Procedures And State-of-the-art Treatment To Produce Excellent Medical And Lifestyle Outcome For Our Patients. We also have a wide array of specialties including Pulmonology, Neurology, Gynecology and are pioneers among all Orthopedic Hospital in Hyderabad.
About the doctor
Dr. Anjaiah is a reputed Orthopedic doctor in Hyderabad with an experience of 22 years in this field. Dr. Anjaiah practices at Sai Sanjeevini Hospitals in Kothapet, Hyderabad. He completed MBBS from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad in 1991 and MS – Orthopaedics from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad in 1994. All his patients trust him with their bones and also their lives. So Book your Appointment now.