Complex ankle ulcer treatment. Many foot and ankle ulcers require a multispecialty approach in healing the ulcer. In Diabetics a team approach is many times the best way to heal a patients ulcer. We will team with specialists such as vascular surgeons, Infectious disease specialists , Radiologists , Diabetologists , Hyperbarics, plastic surgeons and other wound care experts. This is not like the saying too many cooks in the kitchen will ruin the food. Since wounds have so many underlying factors you need multiple eyes on it to get the wound to heal.

Below are pictures of an ankle wound that this patient has had for over five years. He was seen and treated by various wound doctors , hyperbarics and other wound care treatments . He had attempts at skin grafts and re vascularization without getting positive results.

Complex ankle ulcer treatment

He finally approached our team of wound care experts and had an in depth evaluation that was able to address the cause of the wound. The decision was made to perform a special ankle surgery that stiffened the ankle. In order to help get rid of motion at the site of the wound, which was causing the graft to fail.

An external fixator was applied with a new graft and a wound VAC. The patient wore the device for 3 months.

The wound Vac was on for a few weeks. He was a great patient and a real trooper with all the appliances attached to him. The beauty of the external fixator is that he was able to be fully ambulating on it. In other words he was able to put all his weight on his foot with that on.  The day came to take if off  and the excitement was palpable . Yes the ankle wound fully healed.

It has now been over a year and he is still healed.

Make sure your foot and ankle wounds get looked at by a team of doctors.  here at the Advanced Foot and Ankle Center our surgeons are highly trained in caring for foot and ankle wounds.

Complex ankle ulcer treatment