Surgical Wound Care

When a foot or ankle wound doesn’t heal or develops an infection, you may need surgical wound care. That’s when you owe it to yourself to consult with Thomas Rambacher, DPM, FACFAS, FAPWCA, at Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County. As a double-board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and wound care expert, he has the expertise to evaluate your wound and determine if surgery is the best choice. Call the office in Mission Viejo, California, today or use online booking to request a wound care appointment.

When would I need surgical wound care?

Dr. Rambacher begins your wound care with nonsurgical therapies. But if you have a foot or ankle wound that’s large, severe, infected, or hasn’t started to heal within the expected time frame, he may recommend surgical procedures that accelerate and promote healing.

What type of surgical wound care might I receive?

Dr. Rambacher has extensive experience performing a wide range of surgical procedures to improve foot and ankle wounds. These are a few examples:

Surgical debridement

Surgical debridement effectively removes the infected, dead, and damaged tissues in a wound. Dr. Rambacher cleans the wound, determines the size of the wound by probing it with a metal instrument, and then uses surgical tools to cut out the unwanted tissues.

Wound closure

When Dr. Rambacher covers a wound, he often recommends skin grafting or flap reconstruction.

For a skin graft, he removes the top layers of a healthy piece of skin from another part of your body and places it over the wound. Over the next few days, the graft establishes a new blood supply and begins connecting with the surrounding skin.

Flap reconstruction is different because it includes the skin’s blood supply, giving it a higher chance of thriving after it’s transplanted to the wound. Dr. Rambacher may also remove muscle, bone, fat, and connective tissues with the skin, creating a substantial cover for the wound.

External fixation

An external fixator is a frame made of orthopedic hardware like rods and pins. Dr. Rambacher uses pins to anchor the frame to the underlying bones, but the frame is outside your foot, where it prevents movement that would reopen the wound.

Foot deformity correction

Bone deformities and ligament imbalances often cause foot wounds. During wound care surgery, Dr. Rambacher corrects these conditions using reconstructive techniques such as bone grafting, bone fusions, and ligament and nerve reconstruction.

Can I get a second opinion for surgical wound care?

Dr. Rambacher is available for second opinions. You may want a second opinion if you’re thinking about wound care surgery and not sure if it’s the best choice. Or maybe you’ve already had surgery and want a wound care expert to examine your wound and make recommendations for ongoing care.

Call Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County today or request an appointment online to learn if you might need surgical wound care.