MASSENA - The Wound Care team at St. Lawrence Region’s Massena Hospital assists patients with a variety of health concerns. Diabetic wounds, however, are ones that take time and perseverance to treat.

While November was National Diabetic Awareness Month, Rochester Regional Health’s North Country team is always available to answer questions and discuss treatment options with their diabetic patients.

Wound Care physician Robert Nordberg, MD, explained that diabetic wounds or ulcers typically develop on the patient’s feet or lower legs, and can commonly turn into osteomyelitis (a complication of diabetic foot ulcers and infections). 

“Diabetic ulcers are often advanced when a patient comes to us for medical care,” Dr. Nordberg said. “Wounds may present elsewhere on their body, but the classic diabetic ulcer is on the foot and lower leg. They may cluster, or appear individually on the body.”

These wounds, specific to diabetic patients, develop on the feet because they are weight-bearing areas which create pressure points, sometimes due to shoes that do not fit properly. These wounds can also be the result of a traumatic injury, such as a puncture.

“Successful diabetic foot ulcer treatment is slow, and always takes longer than patients expect. Furthermore, there may be set-backs along the way, in spite of the excellent care they are receiving and providing themselves,” Nordberg said.

“Maintaining a successful outcome depends on avoiding the factors that caused the wound in the first place. Since the majority of our diabetic Wound Care patients have type II diabetes, that diagnosis should concurrently be treated with the wound,” he added.

Patients should be receiving medical direction regarding their diet and weight loss, and working with their providers to possibly have their medications adjusted to help lower the patient’s hemoglobin A1C.

“If such care is omitted from the patient’s treatment plan, the ulcers are likely to reoccur and could possibly result in amputation,” Nordberg continued.

The Massena Hospital Wound Care team consists of trained experts in providing their patients with:

•     Wound assessments
• depth, location, infection
•     Wound monitoring
•     Off-loading (not bearing weight on the area of the wound or where a wound could develop)
•     Edema (swelling of body parts) control
•     Antibiotics
•     Engineered products, such as dressings, collagen, or skin substitutes
•     Referrals to vascular surgeons, infectious disease, or imaging specialists

“Diabetic wounds are serious and successful treatment takes time,” Nordberg said. “Wound Care treats the patient as a whole, and focuses on healing and all underlying medical issues.”

To learn more about St. Lawrence Region Wound Care services, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/services/wound-care.