Chronic wounds are reaching an unprecedented high in America. According to the National Institute of Health, over 6 million people in the U.S. are affected by slow or non-healing wounds. Left untreated, a chronic wound can lead to an amputation or even death. If you have an amputation due to a non-healing wound, your risk of dying within five years is higher than with a cancer diagnosis.

A wound can be anything from a scrape that never really heals to an open sore that slowly gets larger. It’s something abnormal on your leg or foot that just doesn’t get better and over time may get worse, but never better. For those who can’t feel their feet, abnormal pressures, like a pebble in a shoe, or an unnoticed cut or blister can turn into a wound before it’s noticed.

Once identified, it’s important to start treatment. Because there are many different processes involved with wound healing the best opportunity for success is with a team approach. A primary care physician, podiatrist, and wound care specialist all take part in controlling diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, and wound management. But to get the wound to heal, an interventional radiologist is needed to evaluate circulation and make certain that there is proper blood flow to the area.

Proper blood flow is necessary for healing. Blood delivers antibiotics, oxygen, and nutrition all of which are required for healing. The specialists at CiC are able to go into the bloodstream to see if there are any blockages impacting circulation and if so, remove the blockages with specialized instruments so healing can begin.

This minimally invasive procedure is done in a CiC facility and patients are home within hours and back to everyday activities with almost no downtime, no stitches and no overnight hospital stay. Medicare as well as most insurance plans will cover treatment.

If you or someone you care about has a non-healing sore, call for an appointment.