Month: September 2019

SOUTH BAY VASCULAR ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF “VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS”

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute is excited to announce the availability of “Virtual Appointments” for our patients.

Beginning November 1, 2019 patients wishing to schedule an appointment can request a “virtual” appointment to speak with one of our vascular surgeons from the privacy of their home or office. Additionally, virtual appointments can be scheduled to include care givers and or other family members in remote locations whom the patient may wish to include in their medical appointment. Now, family members from anywhere in the world can be included in patient physician appointments without the expense of travel or the risk of mis-interpreting the diagnosis and care plan for loved ones.

Please note that not all medical conditions can be evaluated remotely. When requesting a “virtual” appointment our scheduling coordinators will be able to assist you in determining if a virtual appoint is right for your specific medical condition.

In the event of a medical emergency, patients must call 911 immediately to request medical care directly to their location.

Technology Requirements:

Patients wishing to leverage our HIPPA compliant telemedicine platform must have an email address, an internet connected device (desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet) equipped with a working camera and microphone. All virtual patient communications will be recorded and saved in the patients medical chart and will be included as part of their medical record.

It is the complete and total responsibility of patients and patient advocates when requesting a “Virtual” appointment to insure that the remote location in which the virtual visit is conducted maintains standards for patient privacy and safeguards patient medical information.

DIABETIC WOUND CARE IN SAN JOSE-TREATMENT FOR DIABETIC WOUNDS

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

Silicon Valley’s South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute physicians are recognized as the leading wound care doctors in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Kokinos is the current medical director at both the Verity/O’Connor Wound Care Center in San Jose and at St Louise Hospital Wound Care Center in Morgan Hill, CA. She is recognized as one of the regional experts in Northern California and provides cutting edge treatment for the care and treatment of Non Healing Diabetic wounds. Together with her partner Dr. Brad Hill who served as chief of Kaiser Hospital’s entire Northern California Vascular Surgery Department for over 17 years, South Bay Vascular Surgeons provide unmatched cutting edge and compassionate care to patients suffering from non-healing diabetic foot wounds.

Millions of Americans suffer from wounds that don’t heal. It’s a problem most don’t even think about until they or a loved one develops this type of wound. After all, every one of us has fallen or hurt ourselves with a resulting wound. It generally hurts for a little, we put a little Neosporin or a band-aid on it, and forget about it. Pretty soon, it is gone, and there is a little or big scar in its place. However, as we get older, and develop medical issues, this healing may not happen. A wound that has been “open” for more than four weeks, is called a chronic wound, and often needs the special attention of a wound care center. In these centers, team of specially trained nurses and doctors use a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic tools to help promote healing.

Diabetics must pay special attention to their feet and ankles and it is vitally important to NOT ignore a small wound when it develops. Diabetic wounds, when left untreated, are the cause of 85% of the amputations that occur in these patients. Once these ulcers develop, they often DO NOT HEAL just by putting a Band-Aid over them, or even with wound care and ointments prescribed by your primary care doctor.

Several different problems can contribute to wound healing. The most common of these is a circulation issue. Either the arteries are blocked that supply oxygen and nutrients to help heal the wound, or the veins that promote drainage of toxins and fluids are not functioning properly. This can occur either because they have leaky valves, or because they too are blocked. In general, it has been discovered that about 70% of wounds seen in wound care centers have an underlying vascular issue. This problem is most often an issue with leg or foot wounds. For this reason all of these should be consulted on by a vascular surgeon, a specialist in treating circulation problems. Simple tests, most of which are not invasive, can reveal problems in the arteries and veins. It is very important to do this, because treating these issues alone can greatly improve the wound healing rate.

If you suffer from non-healing leg or ankle wounds, especially if you are a diabetic, call the diabetic wound care experts at South Bay Vascular Center to schedule an appointment to have these wounds evaluated. We offer hope when others say there is none. 408-858-3586.

WHY DIABETIC FOOT WOUNDS DON’T HEAL

Posted on by Angelica Rodezno

One of the main complications of diabetes is the development of diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic foot ulcers occur in 15% of all patients with diabetes. There are four primary contributing factors to the developments of these ulcers.

  • The presence of peripheral neuropathy (loss of feeling over the toes);
  • Changes in the architecture (shape) of the foot causing it to have pressure on areas ot built for it;
  • Poor blood flow to the foot;
  • A decreased ability to fight infection in the foot.

The main reason why diabetic wounds do not heal is due to lack of blood flow to the ulcer and ongoing pressure to the wound

Diabetics must pay special attention to their feet and ankles and it is vitally important to NOT ignore a small wound when it develops. Diabetic wounds, when left untreated, are the cause of 85% of the amputations that occur in these patients. Once these ulcers develop, they often DO NOT HEAL just by putting a Band-Aid over them, or even with wound care and ointments prescribed by your primary care doctor.

Care of Diabetic Foot Wounds

It is very important to see both a podiatrist (foot specialist) and a vascular surgeon (blood flow specialist) to examine your foot. These doctors can help with special treatments such as debridement (cleaning the wound), off-loading (taking pressure of the wound) and improvement of blood flow to help your wound heal. Debridement helps remove dead tissue and bacteria from the wound. Off-loading and special inserts or shoes allow the pressure to be removed from the wound so that it can heal. Diabetes causes blockages with calcium deposits inside your small blood vessels, which are below the knee, and this prevents oxygen and nutrients from getting to your feet. The vascular surgeons at South Bay Vascular Center have a special interest and expertise in opening these blood vessels in order to bring flow to your toes and feet that can help save patients from amputation. If you or anyone you know suffers from diabetes and are experiencing foot wounds that do not heal, call us immediately at 408-376-3626 to schedule an appointment to have these wounds evaluated.