Suggest Treatment For Leg Ulcers When Suffering From Peripheral Artery Disease

Posted on Mon, 27 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 Answered on

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been diagnosed with PAD. i AM 82 Years old. I have an a large ulcer on my lower right leg. I have had it for a week now and it doesn"t seem to change. Am I going to have this ulcer forever? It is about 11/2 inches wide. My doctor did not give me any instructions as far as the sore is concerned. He told me to stay as active as possible. I would like to know if I should apply dressing or medicine on it. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Yogesh D (2 hours later)

Brief Answer: Dressing and medicine will certainly help. Detailed Answer: Hello Mr. Wayman. Thanks for posting your query. I understand your concern and I appreciate your initiative to seek help. A person with Peripheral artery disease is prone to develop ulcers in the lower legs due to insufficient blood supply to the extremities. PAD can be very debilitating, that said, if you take good care of the ulcer, it will heal in some time, it will take longer than usual as the blood supply is diminished. Staying active will improve blood circulation is the legs thereby promoting healing. Please do do the dressing and apply mupirocin ointment or Povidone Iodine solution to the wound to prevent infection from spreading. This will most certainly help. Sincerely hope this information will be of use to you. Please do write back if you need any clarifications. Wishing you speedy recovery and good health. Kind regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar