Leg Wounds

Chronic leg and foot wounds can develop from diabetes, problems with the veins or arteries of the legs, trauma, or poor healing after surgery. A team approach is used at Northwestern to help achieve wound healing. When you meet the surgeon, a history will be obtained as a starting point to understand your leg wound condition. Your pulses will be felt at the ankle. If you have a problem with the blood vessels, you may need a blood flow test such as a Doppler flow study or even an arteriogram to look at the blood vessels in your legs. After your initial history and physical examination, the first decision to be made is if you need to see one of the other members of the team, such as the vascular (blood vessel) surgeons, or the dermatologists (skin physicians). If plastic surgery is the proper place for your condition, then a decision will be taken for the need for surgery or local wound care and dressings. Ask your surgeon questions to understand your options and what can be tried for your situation.