Venous Ulcers

Venous ulcers are wounds that either heal very slowly or do not show any healing progress on their own at all. Without professional care, they can become infected, and the infection can spread. 

Venous ulcers happen because of problems with leg vein circulation. They tend to develop on the lower parts of your legs or your feet, often without causing pain or discomfort. Common symptoms of venous ulcers are:

• Swelling and inflammation
• Skin hardening or other changes
• Black or brown skin discoloration
• Discharge
• Scabbing

Instead of waiting for an appointment, you should seek emergency care if you see signs of infections, like a foul odor or a fever. 

Venous ulcers develop because of damage to the veins in your legs. The veins in your legs have a series of valves that help them transport blood upwards toward your heart. Often, damage to these valves causes high blood pressure in the legs, eventually leading to a venous ulcer.

You can get venous ulcers as a complication of:

Varicose veins

Varicose veins are large and bulging, often twisted-looking veins that appear on your legs when blood pools inside them. They usually aren’t painful on their own and don’t need treatment if they don’t cause complications. 

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)

CVI is another condition that causes blood to pool in your lower extremities. It often causes intense leg swelling, which can place pressure on your skin until an ulcer forms. 

At Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic and Hyperbarics, Dr. Badam manages your venous ulcers using procedures to remove pressure from the ulcer, remove debris and infection from the ulcer, or increase oxygen in your blood for more efficient healing.

After evaluating your venous ulcer during a consultation, Dr. Badam creates a treatment plan. Your treatment may involve:

• Wound debridement
• Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)
• Advanced wound healing products
• Compression wrapping
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Many treatments for venous ulcers require regular visits with Dr. Badam. She evaluates your progress with each visit and can change your treatment plan if your wound healing isn’t progressing. 

Dr. Badam may also recommend some lifestyle changes to accelerate your recovery from a venous ulcer treatment, like smoking cessation and/or weight loss. 

Unlike other wounds, venous ulcers need proper treatment to heal. Schedule your evaluation by phone or online at Vayu Advanced Wound Clinic and Hyperbarics today.