Advancements In the Treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease
In recognition of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) awareness month, the entire CūtisCare team wanted to share our hope, dedication to care, and some timely information surrounding efficacious, non-invasive treatments.
Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from peripheral artery disease (PAD).
PAD is also the leading contributing factor in lower extremity amputations. An estimated 200,000 Americans suffer avoidable amputations every year. In CūtisCare managed wound care and hyperbaric centers, our team of doctors, clinicians, and allied healthcare professionals is dedicated to treating PAD and preventing amputations with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT.
At CūtisCare, our integrated delivery models are designed to help hospitals, clinics, and physician practices fill a critical void in the wound care treatment and healing space.
But what exactly is peripheral arterial disease? We shared an excellent definition in a previous post from the American Heart Association:
Peripheral artery disease is similar to coronary artery disease (CAD).
Peripheral artery disease is a narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. The most common type is lower-extremity PAD, in which blood flow is reduced to the legs and feet.
Both PAD and coronary artery disease are caused by atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries that narrows and blocks them throughout the body, including in the heart, brain, arms, legs, pelvis and kidneys.
As the American Heart Association points out, the most common cause of PAD is atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries caused by plaque buildup.
This can cause reduced blood flow to the lower extremities.
Reduced blood flow and diabetic neuropathy can be a life-threatening combination that can lead to chronic wounds in the lower extremities, especially the feet.
Non-healing foot and lower-extremity wounds can lead to unnecessary, preventable amputations. That’s where the dedicated team at CūtisCare can help. Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one of the most effective, non-invasive, CMS-approved treatments for patients suffering from chronic lower extremity wounds caused by PAD.
HBOT is a proven method for treating chronic lower extremity wounds and preventing foot amputations.
HBOT is a non-invasive therapy that involves minimal risk to the patient. In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the air pressure is increased two to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather much more oxygen than is possible by breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. As your blood carries oxygen-rich blood throughout your body, it helps fight bacterial growth and stimulates the release of healing growth factors and stem cells.
This process can promote healing and reduce the pathophysiological processes associated with PAD and chronic foot wounds.
Hyperbaric oxygen also increases the dissolved oxygen and the amount of oxygenated plasma dissolved in damaged tissue. The overall result is increased healing and some potentially excellent outcomes for patients and wound care teams.
The entire CūtisCare team is dedicated to pursuing exceptional patient outcomes through comprehensive, dynamic, cost-effective, compliant, innovative wound care and HBOT solutions.
We provide hospitals, research facilities, clinics, and private practices nationwide with the solutions, physician mentoring, and knowledge they need to treat patients with chronic wounds.
Chronic wound care management and hyperbaric oxygen therapy solutions to treat PAD provide proven treatments designed to:
- Improve your patients’ quality of life
- Reduce infections and tissue necrosis
- Lower amputation rates
Are you in the planning phase of establishing a comprehensive wound care center or perhaps re-evaluating your current wound management practice or program?