Wound care in Lakewood Ranch

Vascular wounds are caused by problems in your blood vessels, particularly chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), commonly referred to as vein disease, means a patient has complications with vein valves and the blood flowing through them. Your veins have one-way valves that keep blood flowing in the right direction. When something compromises vein health, blood can pool, building pressure in the veins.

Excessive pressure can cause the blood vessel to rupture and leak fluid into nearby tissues. Once this fluid breaks down the skin, a venous ulcer forms.

These slow-to-heal, shallow sores must be treated with wound care. In Lakewood Ranch, our vein specialists provide in-depth care in our clinic alongside at-home instruction to help you heal the vascular wound.

Vein problems can cause veins to rupture, resulting in a skin wound. When valves are weak or damaged, they let blood flow backward where it pools and increases the pressure on the vein. The vein eventually ruptures and leaks fluids into the surrounding tissue, which wears down your skin over time and creates an ulcer.

While we provide initial care, healing chronic wounds involves continuous active participation on your part. We recommend compression stockings and show you how to properly clean and dress the wound at home. When you come in for your visit, we ensure you receive comprehensive information on how to recover from your venous ulcer.

Venous ulcers begin as small, barely noticeable sores within the skin. Once they become active and reach the skin’s surface, cleaning and care help prevent dangerous complications.

If you have developed vein disease that has started forming an ulcer, seek care as soon as possible. Venous ulcers cannot heal on their own, as other wounds can. Without care, a venous ulcer poses risks of infection and tissue damage, which can lead to limb loss or severe illness.

These sores must be treated with diligent, ongoing expert care to minimize the risk of infection and begin the slow healing process.

Since both venous ulcers and varicose veins stem from faulty vessels, it’s possible that a varicose vein can develop into a vascular wound.

Varicose veins occur when the valves in your veins become compromised and cannot properly direct blood flow. This can lead to blood flowing backward and pooling. Pooled blood raises pressure in the veins, which might eventually rupture and form an active venous ulcer.

Having varicose veins does not automatically mean you will have an ulcer, but it raises the risk, because it indicates underlying concerns.

In Lakewood Ranch, we help our patients with venous ulcers treat their hard-to-heal wounds. Since these sores extend deep into the skin and stem from underlying vein disease, they take much longer to heal than superficial wounds.

With the help of our team and diligent at-home tending to the wound, you can expect the ulcer to heal in 3 to 4 months, depending on the condition of the wound when you start care.

If you have a larger wound or one that has gone a long time without treatment, it can take up to a year to fully heal.

The best way to prevent a venous ulcer is to engage in habits that enhance your circulation.

Since these ulcers form due to impaired blood flow and damaged veins, living a healthier lifestyle and improving your vascular health can greatly reduce your risk for vein disease and venous ulcers.

Our providers recommend that patients:

• Walk regularly to support circulation
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Treat existing vein issues
• Stop smoking
• Manage chronic conditions