Uncovering Hidden Vascular Blockages and Healing Foot Wounds With Precise In-Office Ultrasound

It’s normal, as you get older, to notice small cuts and scrapes taking longer to heal, particularly when they occur on your feet and legs. While circulation can degrade with age, slow healing  may also be a sign of vascular disease — often the first visible sign. 

Vascular specialist Dr. Enrique Hernandez and his team at Advanced Vascular Cardiac & Veins  perform in-office ultrasound imaging to investigate and diagnose vascular blockages. Visit us when you discover slow or non-healing wounds on your feet. It’s the first step in getting the medical care you need to limit further damage. 

How vascular blockages affect wound healing

Arteries are the blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood to your body, along with nutrients and the building blocks of wound healing. Conditions like peripheral artery disease (PAD) can impair blood flow, particularly in the feet and legs, where the body already faces challenges as it fights gravity to return blood through the veins to the heart and lungs. 

Risk factors for PAD include: 

• Age
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Tobacco use
• Other cardiovascular disease

Diabetes can take a toll on nerve performance in your feet, including numbness that may block the sensations associated with foot wounds. This can be a critical issue for people with diabetes, so they may benefit from a vascular ultrasound before suffering from non-healing wounds. 

In-office vascular ultrasound imaging

Duplex ultrasound is the go-to choice for vascular work. It combines the ability to view artery structure with Doppler imaging, which focuses on blood movement. 

A vascular duplex ultrasound can reveal things like: 

• Abnormal or reduced blood flow in leg arteries
• Areas where blockages or narrowed arteries or veins exist
• Blood flow patterns that indicate potential irregularities

As a patient, you benefit from a non-invasive way to see inside your body without the need for ionizing radiation like X-rays or computerized tomography (CT scans). There’s no lab visit. We conduct vascular ultrasounds at our offices. 

While additional testing may be necessary for a complete diagnosis, vascular ultrasound points the way to next steps as well as potential treatments.    

From diagnosis to treatment

Identifying circulation issues often points to the cause of non-healing wounds. The next steps depend largely on your condition, like the severity of the blockage, the characteristics of wounds you might have, and your overall health. 

Treatment options range from improving your wound care and managing risk factors like diabetes to procedures to restore blood flow. As with many medical conditions, problems uncovered in their early stages give you the most treatment options. Avoiding treatment may lead to permanent tissue damage. 

When you encounter a non-healing wound, don’t delay. Call or message our nearest office today to book your appointment. We’re located in Miami, Miami Lakes, and Doral, Florida.