SensiLase System Enhances Wound Care Planning Strategies
Nacogdoches and Carthage Texas– Sowell Podiatry has begun evaluating wounds using the SensiLase® System, which evaluates the circulatory conditions of the skin. These tests are conducted to assess blood flow of a patient’s legs, feet or toes. The SensiLase System conducts two tests, the Skin Perfusion Pressure (SPP) and the Pulse Volume Recording (PVR).
“When I am treating a patient with diabetes who has foot ulcers, the SensiLase System will tell me with approximately 90 percent accuracy which ulcers are likely to heal with good wound care and which are unlikely to heal despite an optimal wound care program,” says Dr. Mark Sowell,DPM, at Sowell Podiatry. “This level of accuracy greatly improves our ability to provide that individual with the most appropriate and effective wound care possible.”
The SPP test is a useful tool for physicians as they determine the best course of therapy because the data provided enables the physician to:
- Monitor disease progression in patients with conditions such as peripheral artery disease and other circulatory problems
- Assess wound healing potential
- Monitor pre- and post-therapy (e.g., surgery)
- Plan arterial reconstruction and monitor post-procedure healing
The PVR test evaluates changes in arterial blood volume in the extremities with each pulse, and aids in determining the level and severity of arterial disease in the extremities. Performing a PVR with an SPP test provides correlation between the capillary disease process (micro) and the arterial component (macro) to offer further insight into a patient’s circulatory health.
PVR enables the clinician to assess lower extremity circulation, lower extremity arterial occlusive diseases and functional severity of the disease process. Pulse Volume Recording is of significance in that it:
- Is indicative of vascular status
- Provides qualitative patient information about arterial health
- Immediately provides reliable, reproducible results
“Noninvasive tests are much less stressful for our patients than some alternative choices,” said Dr.Sowell. “The SensiLase System gives us the value-added information we need to better diagnose disease and thus provide high quality care for our patients.”
The SPP and PVR tests are especially valuable for physicians who are treating wounds on persons with diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, between 60 and 70 percent of people with diabetes experience mild to severe loss of sensation in the feet, often causing foot ulcers to develop. The ADA further reports that amputation of limbs is 10 times more prevalent in these patients than in the general population. Wounds leading to amputations totaled 82,000 in 2002. Appropriate monitoring and care is essential to minimize the necessity of amputation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), diabetes is a growing problem with 14.6 million adults diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 6.2 million adults who are undiagnosed in the U.S. The prevalence of diabetes is growing with the ADA estimating that one in four individuals born after 2000 will develop diabetes.
The SensiLase System is designed, manufactured and marketed by väsamed, Eden Prairie, Minn., a technology development company specializing in cost-effective, vascular diagnostic systems for noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring.
Sowell Podiatry, with clinics in Nacogdoches and Carthage Texas provides complete podiatric services two both communities and over fifteen area nursing facilities. For more information about us contact us at: (936) 559-1700 or at www.etfaonline.com.
