OKLAHOMA CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER · FOR PATIENTS
Healing a wound takes blood — oxygen, nutrients, and infection-fighting cells all arrive through the arteries. In diabetes, nerve damage hides the pain that would normally warn you, and artery disease often runs deeper and further toward the foot. The result is a wound that looks small but will not close.
Two problems, treated together
A diabetic foot ulcer usually needs both halves of healing addressed at once:
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The wound — expert wound care, offloading pressure, and controlling infection.
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The circulation — confirming whether enough blood is reaching the wound, and restoring it when it is not, sometimes all the way down into the small arteries of the foot.
When the two are managed separately, in different clinics, wounds stall. When they are managed together, most can be kept from progressing to amputation.
What helps
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Get the circulation checked — often a painless in-office ultrasound — rather than assuming the wound just needs more time.
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Restore blood flow to the foot when it is limiting healing, through a small puncture in the outpatient setting.
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Coordinate the wound and the artery under one roof, so nothing falls between clinics.
Arterial Ulcers / Diabetic Foot Ulcers → Wound care → Refer or request an evaluation →
When to call us — don’t wait for your next visit
A diabetic foot wound can change quickly — some situations need same-day attention.
Call our office today if you notice:
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Spreading redness, warmth, or foul drainage around a wound
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New black tissue on the foot or toes
Call our office at (918) 943-5303 and tell us what’s changed — we’ll get you seen sooner, because catching these early often keeps a small problem from becoming a big one.
Go to the emergency room now, or call 911, if you have:
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A foot or leg that becomes suddenly cold, pale, numb, or painful
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An infection that is spreading quickly, or a fever with a wound