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With Diabetes, the leg, foot, and ankle are often affected by wounds that do not heal. Diabetes is a complicated condition and can be challenging to treat. Often these wounds become “non-healing” due to the adverse effects of the systemic disorder.
Millions of people with diabetes will suffer from diabetic foot ulcers more than once in their lifetimes. Diabetes is a progressive disease that must be well managed.
High blood sugar damages various organs within the body, but also has a severely damaging effect on nerves. This nerve damage happens when the blood supply is limited. The small blood vessels, which supply blood and nutrients to the nerves becomes impaired. When the nerves are no longer fed nutrients, they either die, or their signals to the brain are ineffective. The lack of brain signaling from the nerve endings makes it difficult for a person to feel pain in their foot, so often injuries and these disorders are overlooked. This syndrome is called peripheral diabetic neuropathy.
Because of this nerve damage, people with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing foot ulcers. A foot wound may not sound overly alarming to most people, but foot ulcers can be life-threatening. These small sores go undetected due to the lack of feeling and numbness. If a patient delays treatment, foot ulcers can lead to amputation, strokes, heart attacks and severe infections that can spread throughout the entire body.
Diabetic Wounds & Vascularization
If you have ulcers and lacerations that never fully heal, you might have a chronic wound. These are most often caused by diabetes mellitus, which causes blood vessels in the feet and hands to grow smaller. The restriction of blood flow damages nerve areas and reduces sensation.
Chronic wounds can also be caused by venous stasis, a condition of the veins in the lower legs, which also deprives your feet of adequate blood flow. With both conditions, when you injure or cut your foot, the lack of blood flow makes it difficult for the wound to heal.
In the endothelial layer of the dermis, vascularization must take place in order to heal the wound. The neovascularization or also known as angiogenesis is when new micro vessels, fibroblast, and collagen begin to proliferate and form along with an increase in oxygen uptake and micronutrients to help grow new tissue, and to build a strong vascular blood flow to supply the proper nutrients to the dermal layers.
Lakeside Foot & Ankle often works directly with vascular surgeons to find innovative ways to restore blood flow to the affected area so that the wound can heal optimally.
Lakeside Foot & Ankle Center
Podiatrists in Leesburg and The Villages, Florida
Our practice provides superior foot and ankle care for every walk of life using state of the art and time proven diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. We believe that prevention, prompt diagnosis, and early intervention are the key ingredients to minimize the impact of any problem on your life. We provide the full range of podiatric care, exhausting all conservative treatment options prior to graduating to surgical intervention when necessary. Our board-certified physicians are well versed in the arena of podiatric medicine and provide skilled and compassionate surgical care.
Our staff is committed to creating a warm and friendly environment to provide a relaxed and comfortable experience for you. We take pride in taking the time to thoroughly understand your concerns and make certain you comprehend all aspects of the treatment plan we formulate specifically for you. We work closely with primary care physicians and all other specialists to create a comprehensive care plan that takes all aspects of your health into consideration.
Lakeside Foot & Ankle Center offers a full array of podiatric services to help you maintain healthy feet.
Our practice offers the following services:
• In-office surgical procedures
• Heel Pain/Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• In-office digital x-rays
• Senior citizen foot care
• Lower extremity vascular evaluations
• Diabetic foot care
• Routine foot care services
• Non-surgical treatment of athletic injuries
• Custom Foot Orthotics
• Diabetic shoe program
• Foot surgery
• Diabetic wound care
• Sports medicine
Medical and surgical treatment of:
• Ankle Injuries
• Athletes Foot – Fungus
• Athletic Injuries
• Arch Disorders
• Arthritis
• Bunions
• Calluses and Corns
• Diabetic Ulcers and Neuropathy
• Flat Feet
• Fungus Nails
• Fractures and Dislocations
• Gout
• Hammertoes
• Heel Pain – Spurs and Fasciitis
• Ingrown Toenails
• Neuromas
• Orthotics
• Skin Conditions
• Sports Medicine Problems
• Tendonitis
• Trauma
• Ulcers – Chronic Wounds
• Walking Problems
• Warts
Lakeside Foot & Ankle Center
910 Old Camp Road
Suite 112
The Villages, FL 32162
352.259.0854
1330 Citizens Blvd.
Suite 301
Leesburg, FL 34748
352.728.1252
