Celebrity News – Zsa Zsa Gabor Battles to Save Leg

While you may have never seen a film or production she has acted in, chances are you recognize the name Zsa Zsa Gabor.  The Budapest born actress has made many headlines over the years with her extravagant lifestyle and happenings. News broke earlier this week that she was going to have a life saving limb amputation.  More recent articles note that doctors are trying strong antibiotic therapy first.  Her publicist reported that an unhealing, long-standing wound became quite larger over the holidays before she was admitted to the hospital.  Doctors worry that this infected wound could be life threatening.  While we wish her the best as she attempts to heal, these headlines give us here at AFAS an opportunity to discuss wound care, infection and amputation.

Amputation is the absolute last resort.  It is only when an infection has spread throughout a limb and becomes life threatening that doctors will utilize amputation to save your life.  There is well documented evidence that amputation of a limb decreases your lifespan.  This fact has decreased the number of amputations preformed in recent years and put more emphasis on treating the causes that lead to it.

When dealing with wounds, it is imperative that you follow your doctor’s instructions.  Hygiene, proper bandaging and bandage changing go a long way in keeping infection at bay.  In Zsa Zsa’s case, being restricted to a wheel chair and history of blood clots likely inhibited wound healing.  Proper blood flow is absolutely necessary to properly heal a wound.  As part of wound healing, Dr. Thomajan will assess your blood pressures in your legs and refer you to a vascular specialist if needed.  Good blood flow allows your body to deliver healing nutrients and immune system cells to fight off infection.  You may be prescribed antibiotics if an infection is identified.  It is important to take all of your prescription.  By closely following instructions to keep weight off the wound and proper wound hygiene, you can heal longstanding wounds and avoid amputation.  Make a visit to AFAS today if you have a wound that has been present for more than 2 weeks without any changes.

Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!

Diabetes awareness month – Wounds and complications

As diabetes awareness month comes to a close, let’s spend some time talking about wounds.  Earlier in the month we talked about the determination it takes to properly heal wounds complicated by diabetes.  Because of complicating factors, this is definitely an area where ‘an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure’. 

By examining your feet daily for changes in color, texture, and temperature, you can detect problems early and seek appropriate intervention.  There is actually a lot of ongoing research within the podiatry field to assess or predict wounds before they occur.  This research attempts identifying ‘hot spots’ or areas under increased stress, so that your podiatrist can put you in specialized footwear or inserts to stop the problem before it occurs.   

Examining your feet daily is doubly important if you have any neuropathy of sensation loses.  When you lose the ability to feel pain, a small cut or splinter can go unnoticed and quickly lead to infection.  Infections that are undetected can easily invade the muscle and bones.  If the infection becomes septic, or reaches your blood, you may experience nausea, fever, chills or vomiting for which you must go immediately to the hospital.  The sooner you see a podiatrist or make a trip to an appropriate medical facility the quicker steps can be taken to limit the damage and put you on the path to recovery.  Delays in treatment, especially when infection is involved, can result in surgery and amputations.

We would encourage everyone who has diabetes or is close to someone who has it to join the American Diabetes Association.  The ADA offers plenty of resources and helpful advice.  One such recommendation is yearly foot check-ups with a podiatric physician.  Regular healthcare can help you avoid many of the complications we’ve mentioned.  We at AFAS are calling all to action by continuing to learn about and be aware of diabetes.

Stay tuned next month as we discuss holiday travels and some the things you should keep in mind.  Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy, Austin!