Wound Care Specialist

Southwest Foot & Ankle

Foot and Ankle Specialist located in Durango, CO, Cortez, CO & Farmington, NM

While many wounds heal on their own, non-healing and large wounds often require medical intervention. If you struggle with non-healing foot or ankle wounds, Nicholas Hugentobler, DPM, and the podiatrists at Southwest Foot & Ankle in Durango, Colorado, Cortez, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico, can help. They offer advanced wound care treatments to reduce pain and help you heal quickly.

Call the office to schedule an appointment or book online today.

Wound Care Q & A

What is Wound Care?

Wound Care at Southwest Foot & Ankle includes advanced treatments that help an open or non-healing wound heal quickly. Foot wounds can adversely affect your ability to move around and stay active. If you have uncontrolled Diabetes, your risk of developing foot wounds increases.

Dr. Hugentobler evaluates your wound and personalizes a treatment based on the type of wound and its severity. Wound Care decreases your risk of infection, severe pain, and delayed healing.

What are the different types of wounds?

Common wounds you may experience include:

Abrasions

Abrasions occur when skin rubs against a hard or rough surface. Road rash is an example of an abrasion. Properly caring for an abrasion reduces your risk of infection. 

Lacerations

A Laceration is the tearing of your skin or a deep cut and can cause rapid or extensive bleeding. You may get a Laceration from machinery, knives, tools, or other sharp objects.

Punctures

A Puncture is a small hole in your skin caused by a nail, needle, or other pointy objects.

Avulsions

An Avulsion is the complete or partial tearing of your skin and the tissues underneath. Avulsions can cause rapid or heavy bleeding.

If you experience heavy bleeding resulting from an injury, apply pressure to the wound to minimize bleeding until you arrive at Southwest Foot & Ankle.

What are my Wound Care treatment options?

To determine which type of wound you have and the most effective treatment, Dr. Hugentobler and his team review your medical history and examine the wound and surrounding tissues. 

He can numb the affected area if needed and may recommend one of the following wound care treatments:

  • Antibiotics ointments
  • Debridement 
  • Stitches
  • Skin glue
  • Tetanus shots
  • Gauze packing
  • Pain medications
  • Oral antibiotics
  • Ice packs
  • Bandages
  • Dressings
  • Orthotics
  • Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative Medicine uses Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) sourced from your blood or donated stem cells. Both types of injections can stimulate your body’s natural healing response.

If you have wound dressings, disinfect and dry your wound before placing new dressings on it. Call Dr. Hugentobler if your wound pain gets worse or you experience signs of an infection.

At the first sign of a severe or non-healing wound, call Southwest Foot & Ankle or schedule an appointment online today.