Why Diabetic Foot Wounds Don’t Heal — and What Actually Helps

A diabetic foot wound that won’t close is rarely just a skin problem. More often it is a signal that blood flow to the foot has quietly fallen too low for healing — and that is something that can be checked and fixed.

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: 

• The wound — expert wound care, offloading pressure, and controlling infection.

• 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. 
  

We manage the two together, in one practice, so the artery and the wound are treated on one plan.

What helps

• Get the circulation checked — often a painless in-office ultrasound — rather than assuming the wound just needs more time.

• Restore blood flow to the foot when it is limiting healing, through a small puncture in the outpatient setting.

• Coordinate the wound and the artery on one plan, with one team. 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:

• Spreading redness, warmth, or foul drainage around a wound

• 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:

• A foot or leg that becomes suddenly cold, pale, numb, or painful

• An infection that is spreading quickly, or a fever with a wound