PATIENT EDUCATION

SKIN AND NAIL CARE

Dr. Sowell, like most podiatrists, spends a large percentage of his time handling dermatological cases. He can quickly diagnose skin and nail issues and provide many treatment options. Dr. Sowell enjoys educating patients concerning their specific problems to help patients make informed medical decisions. He has rendered services in East Texas since 1999 and has many years of experience handling skin and nail issues.

Common skin and nail conditions that Dr. Sowell treats:

• Fungal toenails
• Ingrown toenails
• Warts
• Athlete’s foot
• Corns and Calluses
• Dry skin
• Wounds / Ulcers
• Skin infections
• Skin lesions
• Pigmented lesions
• Diabetic foot complications
• Excessive sweating / Odor

Although not often necessary, Dr. Sowell works directly with dermatopathologists through biopsy techniques to confirm difficult diagnosis. He offers special services and procedures in his office for care of most skin and nail issues. Additionally, he considers the complex array of structural problems that lead to these issues, which can develop as a patient ages with specific consideration of diabetic, vascular and neurological foot problems. He follows these situations closely to avoid the development of complications.

Corrective Surgery

Four out of five adults eventually suffer from a foot condition that will need surgery. Some of these surgeries are elective but most are a result of increased deformity, mechanical instability, injury or arthritic pain. Dr. Sowell spends much of his time educating each patient on their condition and treatment options that are both non-surgical and surgical, and he takes a conservative approach to almost all foot conditions. However, there are conditions that require surgery when conservative measures are not working.

Foot surgery is a good choice when it is used:

To Relieve Pain: Painful aching feet may signal an underlying pathology that needs correcting. Foot pain can make you feel tired and irritable and cause you to become less active. Fortunately, foot surgery can often correct underlying problems and relieve foot pain.

To Restore Functionality: It’s tough (or impossible) to do your job when your feet don’t show up ready for work. When ordinary walking becomes an issue, your lifestyle is negatively impacted. You don’t have to live with foot pain. The good news is foot surgery can be performed at almost any age. In most cases, surgery can restore the use of your feet.

To Improve Appearance: Unusually shaped feet can be an embarrassment if they belong to you. Buying new shoes, going to the beach or going barefoot in public can become a dreaded experience. While foot surgery is usually not performed for cosmetic reasons alone, it can, in many cases greatly improve the appearance of your feet. After surgery, you may also have a wider selection of shoes from which to choose.

Dr. Sowell has surgical privileges at area hospitals and surgical centers. He has been practicing in East Texas since 1999 and wants every case to be a successful one. Therefore, he spends much of his time answering questions and discussing surgical consideration before a decision to do surgery is made. A thorough medical screening is performed and primary care physicians are often included in medical management. Before any type of surgery or treatment is recommended, Dr. Sowell will carefully evaluate your foot problem to ensure you receive the optimum care to get you back on your feet without pain or problems.

 Common foot procedures that Dr. Sowell performs are:

• Bunion repairs
• Fracture repairs
• Neuroma excisions
• Heel surgery
• Hammertoe repairs
• Bone spur removal
• Ganglion removal
• Repair of arthritic joints
• Wound repair
• Foreign body removal
• Amputations
• Tendon repair
• Nerve compression release
• Bone deformity correction
• Removal of infected bone