Non-Healing Wounds & Diabetic Foot Management

Most wounds become less painful, drain less, and start to close. A wound may be described as non-healing when it makes little progress, repeatedly breaks down, or becomes deeper despite appropriate dressings. Time alone does not define the problem. Location, depth, blood supply, pressure, infection, and general health all change what healing should look like.

Diabetes, reduced circulation, pressure, smoking, swelling, poor nutrition, and repeated injury are common reasons a wound stalls. People with these problems often need a lower threshold for review. Unprescribed creams or home remedies should not be applied to a complex wound.

Diabetic Foot Management in this practice is the reconstructive assessment of a foot wound in someone with diabetes. The surgeon looks at the wound, sensation, pressure areas, and signs of infection or tissue loss. Diabetic foot care also depends on blood-sugar control and circulation, which may need the diabetes or vascular team before any operation.

Management of diabetic foot wounds can include monitoring, dressings, pressure relief, and removal of unhealthy tissue. A skin graft or flap is considered only when the wound bed is ready and coverage would protect function. Not every foot wound should be operated on, and a graft is not suitable over some exposed structures or active infection.